Cabinet extends southern Sudan parliament term
By Isaac Vuni
June 5, 2009 (JUBA) – The southern Sudan cabinet has decided to extend the term of the southern Sudan Legislative Assembly (SSLA) till the organization of the general election in the semi-autonomous region.
The Southern Sudan Council of ministers chaired by the Vice-President Riek Machar decided today to maintain the 171 lawmakers till the organization of the elections.
The SSLA comes to the existence after the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in January 2005.
The present parliament is due to complete its term in June and national polls were meant to be held before July 2009. However the National electoral board decided to delay the elections to February 2010..
“General elections for the Southern Sudan Legislative Assembly shall be held not later than the end of the fourth year of the Interim Period,” says the article 65 of the Southern Sudan constitution.
“The geographical demarcation of constituencies has not yet been done. Also there is still dispute over the results of the fifth population census conducted last April” said Samson Kwaje the Southern Sudan Minister of Information.
The parliament is scheduled to converge on next Monday June 8 and President Salva Kiir Mayadrit is expected to address the assembly on vital issues of concern to southern Sudanese.
The Southern Sudan Legislative Assembly is composed of 70% SPLM members, 15% NCP members, and the other political parties make up the 15% as stipulated by the CPA.
It was inaugurated in October 2005 with 171 Members drawn from eight (8) Political Parties in the Sudan namely: Sudan People Liberation Movement (SPLM), National Congress Party (NCP), Southern Sudan Defense Force (SSDF), Sudan African National Union (SANU), United Democratic Front (UDF), Union of Sudan African Parties (USAP 1), Union of Sudan African Parties (USAP 2), United Democratic Sudan Forum (UDSF).
(ST)
Ambago
Cabinet extends southern Sudan parliament term
We are actually in a middle of a terrible mess. And it is obvious that the whole CPA is being implemented in a way that is contrarily to both the spirit and the letter.
Every article in this truce has been systematically violated by the peace partners. As we can clearly see that the article 65 of the southern Sudan constitution puts it that the elections were supposed to be held not LATER than the end of the fourth year of the Interim Period, however the National electoral board decided to delay it to February 2010.
Furthermore as we are now left with only 8 months to go, given the huge part of the agreement unfulfilled , the border demarcations, the voters registration, the freedom laws, and above all the CENSUS RESULTS which remains an impeding block, I personally remain quite pessimistic to any elections taking place in coming February.
The governments can comfortably go on extending their terms in office, while we wait for democracy to come from the sky above.
And with the referendum law taken hostage by the ruling Islamists of the NCP, south Sudanese need to put in more efforts both internally and internationally lest 2011 come and go while we still languish under the riverian Arabs.
Sala Gai
Cabinet extends southern Sudan parliament term
Dear Politician in South Suadan
With good performence we shall not bring change to Wani iga
He is to lead upto 2011
According to his good performance during the SPLA/SPLM moment
he is the right person to lead SSLA
by Sala Gai mabior
Chaplain Lolaki
Cabinet extends southern Sudan parliament term
Dear web visitors,
I am presenting my views in response to the extension of the term of the SSLA until the organisation of the election.
I hope the Assembly is aware that most of the protocals on the CPA are not implemented, and they (Members of the SSLA) should use this period to press hard for the full implementation of the remaining items. For example,Border demarcation, Demarcation of Constituencies, and interally do serious civic and election procedures to help the masses of the sudanese people to decide wisely in the coming elections.