Instead of a group of technocrats, such as is expected to serve South Sudan as an interim government, South Sudan’s Citizens for Peace and Justice society group has proposed a “consociation” government and atypical power sharing as an alternative that may be more amenable to bringing together the conflicting factions participating in South Sudan’s civil unrest.
“Power sharing is a type of consociation,” said the secretary of the Citizens for Peace and Justice, David Deng.
In a consociation government power is shared differently from common governments, Deng explained.
“Typically, power sharing is between the two parties that have military power.
“For example, the Comprehensive Peace Agreement was a power sharing arrangement where the national government in Sudan and the [Sudan People’s Liberation Movement] SPLM in the south shared power amongst themselves.”
A consociation government is an atypical system of government wherein various–sometimes antagonistic–social groups are brought together in cooperation on the basis of shared power.
“A consociation is more inclusive and it will involve the different stakeholders.
“The opposition political parties would be involved. The former political detainees would be involved in addition to the two warring parties, and then civil society would be given a robust role in terms of monitoring the implementation of the agreement, in terms of emphasizing the principles and values.”
South Sudanese civil society groups are also proposing that the transition period should be two to three year, according to Deng.
By Day Blakely Donaldson