Southern Sudan dormant lawmakers
By Justin Machien Luoi
May 26, 2007 — No wonder why there are fewer bills passed in the Government of Southern Sudan (GOSS) assembly, zero bills passed by State Congresses and blank bills by the Local government parliaments. Sadly, the parliamentarians may not know their roles, duties and obligations. If they do, then I think they like to sit and assume the state of dormancy.
The GOSS has been in place for almost two years now. But so far only the GOSS assembly in Juba has done a little to show that the members of the parliament are indeed active. They came up with 200 days plan which up to now only a few know how that concluded after the days disappeared from the calendar.
On March 17th, 2007, I left to visit Southern Sudan. I was in Juba for only a short time. Time limit could not let me observe what went on there. However, I spent my two months trip in Unity State. Fortunately, the government of that State has worked hard and managed to form the State assembly. Unfortunately, some local government assemblies were not formed. For instance the assembly of Panyijiar County of Unity State. To me that was a weakness of that State government. This however is not my focal point in this article. As I observed, inquired and asked the locals in Panyijiar County, I realized the Members of Parliaments (MPS) had no any single association with the locals or their respective constituents in that county. This as well is what I was told was going on in almost all counties in Southern Sudan. My first question was, do they (MPs) know what their roles, duties and obligations were?
As far as my knowledge goes, a MP is a people’s representative. He or she is elected by people or appointed with peoples’ consent. He or she is accountable to no one but his or her constituents. The bills he or she drafts, support and vote for in the assembly must be the ones that would yield a good result for his or her constituents. To also have a bill to draft, support and vote for, he or she must be aware of the problems and grievances of his or her constituents. And in order to know the problems and grievances of their constituents, a MP must be a frequent visitor to his or her constituent dwelling ground. If not so, he or she should have a representative closer to constituents. The MP agent (s) then would keep the MP informed of the occurrences in the area (s) where constituents live.
To my surprise, this is not what is happening in most of Southern Sudan assemblies. First and foremost the MPs are not all elected or appointed with peoples’ consent. Secondly, even if they have representative titles, they are not whatsoever frequent visitors to the places of the people they assume their representation. And because they do not have any clue of how their assumed constituents do, they have no bills to draft, support or vote for. This is a major problem. Bills are peoples problems put into writing, approved by peoples representatives and funded by the government if passed and signed to become laws. If the MPs do not know the state of transportation, communication, education, health and peace in the places inhabited by their constituents how can they have bills to draft, support and vote for or even pass? This is what happens with Southern Sudan assemblies. And if by any chance the MPs know what they are suppose to do, then I think they just like to be idol or assume the state of dormancy.
Southern Sudan MPs must and should begin to reconnect with their constituents. They should start to have influence and presence in the places inhabited by their constituents so that they would begin to serve them. If they can do this they would begin to have bills to draft, support, vote for, pass and laws written in Southern Sudan history of governance. As a result, the state of dormancy would be limited. There would be more work done and less time in idol conditions.
By Justin Machien Luoi
* The author who visited Sudan recently resides in the USA. He can be reached at [email protected]