Constitution review body says progress made in grassroots consultations

JUBA — South Sudan’s National Constitutional Review Commission (NCRC) said on Thursday it is making progress in nationwide civic education and public consultations as the country moves toward drafting a long-delayed permanent constitution.

NCRC Chairperson Dr. Riang Yer Zuor told reporters in Juba that the commission has completed consultations in Eastern Equatoria, Lakes, Northern Bahr el Ghazal and Western Bahr el Ghazal.

He said teams will now be deployed to Central Equatoria, Warrap, Western Equatoria and Jonglei in the coming weeks.

“We are pleased to announce that the commission, in collaboration with partners and the national and state governments, will be sending four additional teams to conduct civic education and public consultation on constitutional matters,” Zuor said.

He added that after a month-long exercise in the four states, the commission will dispatch teams to Upper Nile and Unity, along with the administrative areas of Ruweng, Greater Pibor and Abyei.

NCRC Secretary-General John Natana Abraham said the commission remains committed to ensuring the process is citizen-driven.

“Our goal is to make the constitution-making process a people-driven process. We will reach out to different groups, mainly their representatives from various stakeholders,” he said.

The current phase of outreach began in October, targeting grassroots communities across multiple states.

According to field reports, citizens have consistently called for a federal system of government, clear term limits for senior leaders, disarmament of civilians, and separation of the military from politics.

Communities have also demanded guaranteed leadership quotas for women and persons with disabilities.

The commission said the views collected from across the country will guide the drafting of a constitution that reflects the aspirations of South Sudanese nationwide.