South Sudan parties begin consultations on permanent constitution-making process  

JUBA – South Sudan parties to the revitalized peace agreement and the unity government have begun consultations on the country’s permanent constitution-making process which is a key component of the 2018 peace agreement.

This comes nearly three years after South Sudan’s warring parties signed the revitalized peace agreement in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa to end a devastating conflict that has killed hundreds of thousands and displaced millions.

Speaking during a workshop on permanent constitutional-making process in Juba on Tuesday, Nathaniel Oyet, first deputy speaker of parliament and representative of the SPLM-IO to the National Constitutional Amendment Committee (NCAC), urging political will and funding so the process go on as planned.

“It is important to note that without requisite political, financial, and administrative support from the R-TGONU, the constitutional making process shall be wishful thinking. It shall never proceed or succeed. The R-TGONU should therefore take full responsibility to provide funds and political support for the country,” Oyet said.

South Sudan’s former minister of federal affairs Dr. Richard K. Mulla said a yet-to-be-set conference for constitution will pass the adoption of constitution assembly.

“The national constitution conference which is representative of the entire country will deliberate and pass the final decision just for adoption by the Constitution Assembly. I think it is much wider and it is more inclusive and less controlled by the executive than before,” he said.

For his part, Bol Joseph Agau, a lawmaker representing South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA) in the reconstituted parliament said  the “significance of the constitution-making process is the bedrock of having the law that gives the parliament (RTNLA) the right to constitute a new permanent constitution that will be the bases South Sudan as a country has been looking for.”