South Sudan civil society welcomes reconstitution of 4 states parliaments

JUBA – A South Sudanese civil society entity has welcomed the recent reconstitution of four revitalized state transitional legislative assemblies.

President Salva Kiir on Friday reconstituted and appointed members representing Upper Nile, Lakes, Western Equatoria and Central Equatoria state assemblies.

The president, in a decree read on the state-owned South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation (SSBC), also appointed speakers and deputies of these assemblies.

In a statement issued on Sunday, Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) lauded the reconstitution of four state assemblies and urged the presidency to complete the reconstitution of the remaining state parliaments.

“State parliaments play essential roles in the spirit of genuine implementation of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS),” said Edmund Yakani, the Executive Director of CEPO.

He said parliaments in states and political-administrative areas should take the primary responsibility of working for the realization of article 1.1.1 of the R-ARCSS.

According to Article 1.1.1 of the September 2018 peace agreement, “There shall be established Revitalized Transitional Government of National Unity in the Republic of South Sudan entrusted with the task of implementing this Agreement”.

The civil society organization called upon the Revitalized Transitional Government of National Unity (R-TGoNU) within the central government level to avail both political and financial support for the states and political-administrative governments to play an effective role in the implementation of the peace accord.

It urged all parties to enforce the 35% affirmative action for women during the selection of committee chairpersons and their deputies in the state assemblies.

“CEPO and its partners will roll out sensitization on the R-ARCSS in state and political-administrative area assemblies, including developing states and political-administrative areas frameworks for engagement with citizens,” stressed Yakani.

According to the revitalized peace agreement, the responsibility sharing ratio at state and local g0overnment levels shall be 55% for the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM); 27% for the armed opposition (SPLM/A-IO); 10% for South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA) and 8% for the Other Political Parties (OPP).