Watchdog urges parties to reconstitute state legislatures, council of states

JUBA – A Juba-based South Sudan watchdog is urging parties to the revitalized unity government to take immediate steps to form the long-awaited Council of States and state legislatures and expressed concerns in delay of swearing in of the recently-appointed members of the Reconstituted Transitional National Legislative Assembly.

According to the revitalized peace agreement, the parliaments at the national and state levels are shall be in place at the beginning of the transitional period which is ending next year. However, disagreements between parties have pushed beyond the peace deadline not only the legislatures, but several and important tasks of the revitalized peace deal.

Kiir last month formed the reconstituted national assembly, but did not establish the Council of States and the state parliaments. Information minister Michael Makuei had stated that all the preparations for the formation of the Council of States had been completed but disagreements among some states in the formation of their state parliament remained.

In a statement, the Center for Peace and Advocacy (CPA), a Juba-based group, said it is “concerned about the inordinate delays in the appointment of Council of States and State Legislative Assemblies and the delay in administering of the oath to the appointed members of the R-TNLA.”

“The CPA is further concerned about the long delays and silence of the Parties to the Revitalized Agreement without informing the public of South Sudan as to why there is delay and what should be the way forward,” it added in the statement extended to Sudans Post.

The CPA said there is an overwhelming evidence that the OPP and the former ITGONU “are the ones with issues that are contributing to the delay in the full reconstitution of both national and state parliaments.”

“The CPA therefore urges the two Parties to solve the issues connected to the Reconstitution of the National and State Parliaments and also to be mindful of the country and the welfare of the citizens.”