Peace monitors welcome swearing-in of S. Sudan’s lawmakers
August 3, 2021 (JUBA) – The Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (RJMEC) has welcomed the swearing in of the new members of the reconstituted Transitional National Legislative Assembly (TNLA) as well as the Council of States of the Revitalised Transitional Government of National Unity (RTGoNU).
A total of 503 TNLA and 92 Council of States members took oath at a ceremony witnessed by Chief Justice Chan Reec Madut in the capital, Juba on Monday.
The peace monitors, in a statement issued on Tuesday, urged the country’s lawmakers speed up the enactment of key legislations recommended in the September 2018 revitalised peace accord.
“Taken together, these two bodies form the Transitional National Legislature (TNL). A legislature made up of members from the different parties to the Revitalized Agreement on Resolution of Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS) and representing the diverse people of South Sudan performs vital tasks including making and debating legislation, and performing oversight tasks,” partly reads the statement.
The peace monitors urged the coalition government to focus on the completion of the outstanding governance issues, including the reconstitution of the State Legislature, and the restructuring and reconstitution of institutions and commissions at the national level.
“Much work awaits the members of the reconstituted TNLA and CoS, such as the ratification of the amended security bills and the Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 8 (2020), which were drafted by the National Constitutional Amendment Committee (NCAC) and presented to the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs,” the statement noted.
The peace monitoring body also commended the appointment of the first woman speaker of the TNLA and another deputy woman speaker of the Council of State, saying their appointment is in line with the spirit of the peace agreement.
It, however, said necessary steps be taken by those responsible to ensure the remaining members of the two bodies are either appointed or sworn in.
“RJMEC urges the reconsituted TNLA to use its good offices to push forward the completion of the outstanding security issues, including the graduation and redeployment of the unified forces,” it stressed.
In May, President Salva Kiir reconstituted the TNLA and Council of States, but the swearing-in was delayed following disagreements over positions among the various signatories to the peace deal.
(ST)