Activist urges parliament to act on peace extension or risk losing legitimacy

JUBA – Prominent activist Edmund Yakani has warned Sunday that the Transitional National Legislature risk losing its legitimacy at the end of the transitional period in February next year unless it takes immediate action in ratifying the extension of the transitional period.

The thirty-six months transitional period provided for in the revitalized peace agreement ends in February, but the parliament is yet to ratify an agreement by the parties to the 2018 deal in which they extended the deadline through 2025.

In August, President Salva Kiir Mayardit and his first deputy Dr. Riek Machar Teny agreed to extend the lifespan of the coalition government from February 2023 to February 2025 owing to incomplete implementation of crucial provisions in the deal.

By law, the parliament is required to ratify that agreement as it is the case for peace monitoring body, the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (R-JMEC).

The R-JMEC on September 1, 2022 voted overwhelmingly to endorse the internationally criticized extension.

But the parliament – a body comprising 650 politicians representing various parties to the agreement – is yet to do so as required by the agreement.

In a statement to Sudans Post this evening, the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) urged the parliament to urgently ratify the agreement before going into a three-month recess – likely next month – saying any delay to do so will put the legitimacy of the law-making institution at risk.

“The Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) is urging the Transitional National Legislative Assembly to urgently ratify the roadmap as passed by R-JMRC in accordance with article 8.4 of the R-ARCSS,” the statement said.

“Failure to do so before the parliament go into recess or any mistake of not doing so as soon as possible will place the fate or the legitimate existence of the national legislature in question or at risk after the 22 February 2023 deadline,” the statement added.

Edmund Yakani, the Executive Director of CEPO said the political legitimacy of the peace parliament beyond February 22 deadline will be questionable unless the body take immediate action in ratifying the extension of the transitional period.

“The political legitimacy of the national legislature after 22 February 2023 will be legally questionable unless they act to ratify the extension of R-ARCSS immediately. This is because the national legislature is breaking into a three-month recess and they won’t return until in or after January 2023,” Yakani said.

“Therefore, it is total a threat for their legitimacy if they do not ratify the roadmap on the extension of the transitional period provided for in the revitalized peace agreement before the 22 February 2023 deadline as agreed by the parties,” Yakani said.

The prominent activist further called on the parliament to play a watchdog’s role in the implementation process of the agreement by ensuring the executive stick to crucial timelines that would enable the smooth and timely implementation of the deal.

“It is high time for the transitional national legislative assembly and council of states to take pro- active role on the timely and genuine implementation of the peace agreement (RARCSS). The national legislature should be pressuring the executive organ of the government to implement the provisions timely,” Yakani stressed.

LACK OF FUNDS DELAYING WORK OF PEACE-BUILDING MINISTRY

The activist further said lack of funds is delaying the work of the ministry of peace-building and called on lawmakers to ensure that the ministry of finance release the badly-needed money for the peace-building ministry to start its work.

“CEPO is urging the parliament to ensure that the ministry of finance release the funds of the peace agreement implementation to the ministry of peace building timely. The hesitation to release funds for the ministry of peace building is delaying their work and this means the implementation of the peace agreement dissemination is being delayed,” Yakani said.

“In general, this is a clear demonstration of lack of political will and commitment from the ministry of finance and planning for effective implementation of the revitalized peace agreement,” the prominent activist said, reiterating calls for parliament to ratify the extension.