Lakes State Legislative Assembly Speaker denied allegations that he was avoiding parliamentary sittings for fear of being removed.
Isaac Makur Buoc on Friday said Speaker John Marik Makur avoided attending the Assembly Business Committee meeting to unseat him, Good News Radio reported.
Speaker Marik denied the allegations saying he was at the State Secretariat to see Governor Matur Chut Dhuol on important matters.
Mr Marik said he instructed the clerk to adjourn the leadership meeting to Monday.
MP Isaac Makur said 34 MPs signed a petition the remove Speaker Marik for violating the legal procedures by siding with the executive to swear in the cabinet without the Assembly’s vetting.
He said the MPs who signed voted Marik out from the speakership.
Speaker Marik further denied the accusations saying he could not act because his office did not receive the list of new appointees from Lakes State Governor.
He said the SPLM State chairperson and National MP Daniel Awet Akot took responsibility to swear in the cabinet without parliament’s approval.
Speaker Marik revealed that the new cabinet was not vetted for fear that the ongoing division among MPs could negatively affect the exercise.
Fresh calls to remove the Speaker continue despite President Salva Kiir’s intervention by last month to end internal fighting among Lakes MPs.