South Sudan lawmakers unpaid for 4 months, unable to hold sessions

JUBA, NOV. 1, 2023 (SUDANS POST) – South Sudan members of parliament have gone several months without being paid and are unable to hold sessions because the owner of the Freedom Hall, where the parliament has been meeting, has not yet been paid, an MP said.

In an interview with Sudans Post, Honorable Juol Nhomngek Daniel, MP for Cueibet County on the ticket of the main armed opposition SPLM-IO under First Vice President Riek Machar, said lawmakers have gone four months without their salaries.

“The parliament is now going four months without salaries and services. The cars of the chairpersons [of specialized committees] are without fuel and the members have packed all their cars at home,” Nhomngek said on Tuesday.

“Up to now we are just setting under trees the work of parliament is not going anywhere, this has affected the work of so many committees,” he added.

Nhomngek further revealed that due to shortage of funds, the parliamentary sessions have been adjourned for weeks because the business owner of the Freedom Hall has not been paid for the use of his space.

“There was a time when parliament could not have a sitting in the Freedom hall because they were not paid which led to the sitting not to go on, all this comes because of management crisis we are not told how the resources of parliament are manage,” he added.

The lawmaker said members of parliament who speak about resources mismanagement are subjected to suspension because the leaders of the parliament are against anyone speaking out about the practices.

“When we talk like this, we are subjected to suspension, but we cannot stop because it’s the country which is dying once the parliament is dead the all-county is dead, now we are not even able to question the executive,” he said.

He further said that the parliament is not effectively operating and that “it is only the trips like the Speaker Jemma Nunu has gone on the trips with other members,” that ware taking place as the main activities.