CEPO’s Yakani hails ‘successful campaign’ after 21 disabled people appoint to state parliaments

JUBA – Prominent activist and Executive Director of Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) Edmund Yakani has hailed successful campaign after at lest 21 persons with disabilities were appointed to state parliament.

In a statement extended to Sudans Post on Sunday, Yakani said their assessment of appointments of officials to senior governance and legislative positions in the state has found that at least 21 people of special needs were appointed to state parliaments.

Yakani said in the statement that five people were appointed to parliaments of Western Equatoria and Lakes State all-together, two people to each of the state parliaments in Central Equatoria, Eastern Equatoria, Northern Bahr el Ghazal, Unity State and Warrap state, while one person was appointed in Upper Nile region bringing the overall total to 21.

In the statement, Yakani hailed the outcome of the campaign he said CEPO launched alongside Light of the World in April this year and said that the campaign has scored impressive results with the appointment of disabled individuals following CEPO’s advocacy.

“The Community Empowerment for Progress Organization Yellow Ribbon Campaign in partnership with the Light for the World which was launched dated 3^rd April, 2020 in Juba aiming at securing appointment of persons with disabilities as state law makers (parliamentarians) for strengthening participation of persons with disabilities in decision making. Today CEPO is accounting to the public on the achievements of the campaign across the country,” Yakani said in the statement.

“The campaign has scored impressive results as follow in Central Equatoria State, Eastern Equatoria State, Northern El Bahr el Ghazal, Unity State, Warrap State, Upper Nile State have one person with disabilities as Parliamentarians while in Jonglei State two persons with disabilities appointed parliamentarians and Western Equatoria State and Lakes five persons with disabilities were appointed as Parliamentarians. Totally 21 persons with disabilities were appointed as state law makers in the ten states for the first time,” he added.

He stressed that “The principle of inclusivity demanded by the spirit of the R-ARCSS is real when representatives of persons with disabilities are appointed as leaders and representatives in the government of the national unity at various levels. Now having 21 state parliamentarians are from the persons with disabilities. Soon CEPO will provide to the public the gender representation of the 21 state parliamentarians from the person with disabilities.”

He further congratulated “those persons with disabilities who were appointed as state lawmakers and CEPO urge those appointed 21 persons with disabilities as state law makers to be close to their constituencies of persons with disabilities and address societal concerns including standing firm on the implementation of the United Nation Convention on the right of persons with disabilities.”

“CEPO appreciates those political parties that responding positively by appointing their state law makers from their members of persons with disabilities. This the proof of standing strong for zero discrimination against the person with disabilities in public life

“Finally, CEPO will be awarding Lakes and Western Equatoria states Yellow Ribbon Award in this month during the international day for tolerance on the 16th November 2022. CEPO in partnership with the Lights for World will organize first ever national conference for Parliamentarians from the persons with disabilities to develop plan of action for engagement in decision making.”