South Sudan parliament to reopen after 4-month recess

JUBA, FEBRUARY 28 2023 (SUDANS POST) – South Sudan’s Revitalized Transitional National Legislative Assembly (R-TNLA) will resume parliamentary sessions from a four-month recess on 27^th March, according to a lawmaker.

Rt. Hon. Oyet Nathaniel Pierino, First Deputy Speaker of R-TNLA said several bills are expected to be presented before the House during this session of Parliament.

“According to our calendar the session of parliament commences on the first Monday of April and I think the 27^th of March is not far away from the first Monday of April,” Oyet told reporters during a press briefing on Monday.

Oyet disclosed the reopening of the parliament was decided in consultation with President Salva Kiir.

“This recess is ending on 27^th March according to consultation with President. He indicated that the parliament recess will be inaugurated on the 27^th of March when we shall be commencing the new session of parliament,” he said.

The lawmakers went on recess on 15^th December 2022 after passing more than ten bills last year.

The assembly was supposed to resume sitting on 15 January but it later extend recess to March citing delays by the National Constitution Amendment Committee (NCAC) to table outstanding bills for deliberation, a claim denied by NCAC chairperson Gichira Kibara.

During this session, several bills are expected to be presented before the House.

The bills include Protocol to The African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa (Maputo Protocol) and the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights, South Sudan People’s Liberation Army Act, 2009 (Amendment) Act, 2022, The Political Parties Act, 2022 (Amendment) Act, 2022, Appropriation Act, 2022/2023, and Financial Act, 2022l2023.

Others are the Constitution Making Process Act, 2022, The Transitional Constitution of the Republic of South Sudan 2011 (Amendment) No.11 Act, 2022, the National Police Service (Amendment) Act, 2022, The National Wildlife Service (Amendment) Act, 2022, The National Prisons Service Act, 2011 (Amendment) Act, 2022, and the National Civil Defence Service Act, 2022.