Actually, when you came for that visit, I shook your hand. We had that cocktail party at the embassy. We have met before.
Governance in South Sudan is one of those areas that requires total transformation. When the SPLM came from the bush, they continued with the mentality that the commander-in-chief is the first and the last in terms of what should be done. No chance is given to anybody to contribute.
When we took over government, it's always the president. Even when we debate in parliament, are you for the president or not? Are you for us or not? Everything is centred on the presidency. Whatever institutions we have, they don't matter. There is always a directive that comes from above. Parliament has become a rubber stamp. The judiciary cannot make independent judgements without a word from the presidency.
If there is an appropriation that the ministry of finance has to effect, the final say at the writing of the cheque will be at J1, at the office of the president.
I think there are many lessons that South Sudan can learn from Canada, particularly institutional reforms. I remember that very well through an NGO in Canada. They wanted to come and first of all, create an inventory of the ministry of mining and energy. Who are the qualified personnel there? What training do they want? The government could have done this with all the money that they have, but nothing is done. You are my nephew, you take over that portfolio, and life goes on. If you complain, you are not for them.
In parliament, for example, when we vote, it is by show of hands. Secret ballot is a taboo because they will not see who is for us and who is not for us. I remember sitting as the deputy of a vetting committee. There was a nominee of the president, called Telar. The whole country did not want him to be minister of justice. We were intimidated to vote by show of hands, but we stood our ground. We said that we had to vote by secret ballot. It was 105 to 90-something. But when we voted by secret ballot to vet this person, those who opposed rose to 145 to less than 80. There is power in the secret ballot.
What brought the current conflict in the party was that the president refused the election of party members in offices through secret ballot. He wanted the show of hands, so that he could see who was voting for him or not. If you did not vote for him, you would be out of the party, you would be out of a job and in South Sudan, it's government that employs. There is intimidation. That is not the type of governance that we want in that country.
Regarding federalism, many people want to go to their backyards, so that there is competition among states as to how to run governance so that services are taken to the people.
But this is not what they want in Juba. Everything must be centralized. Of all the resources that we have realized upwards of $20 billion, almost 20% is spent within the central government. You don't know what they spend it on. I think there is a lot that South Sudan can learn from Canada. I believe through direct institution-to-institution assistance, through NGOs.... Through NGOs, they have done a lot of training for people in South Sudan, and if that continues, I think that will be helpful.
I don't know whether Sophia can add to this.
Thank you.