Sudan’s Eastern Equatoria operates without constitution – minister
By Isaac Vuni
April 27, 2007 (JUBA) — Eastern Equatoria State operates without any legal Constitution, Minister of Legal Affairs and Constitutional development of Government of Southern Sudan, Justice. Michael Makwir has declared.
Speaking at press conference in southern Sudan television studio in Juba, today, the minister said Eastern Equatoria State has a major problem of governance and lack of constitution which the speaker refuses to let the governor sign on because of their personal difference. The interest and concern for people in the state must be above individual’s interests, remarks Makwir.
He stated that is assuming to have a constitution because the government of national unity minister of Constitutional affairs, Mohamed al-Mardi, wrongly issued compatibility certificate to the delegation of Eastern Equatoria state, after forcing them to amend the draft in Khartoum without referring it back to state assembly for genuine amendment.
Justice Makwi noted that Eastern Equatoria state has a draft constitution of year 2006, but it needs to be amended by state assembly in order to reflect year 2007 but it was never presented it to the governor for signature.
While commenting on the current crisis over ousting of speaker and his deputy, the minister said the claim of it being contrary to the Conduct of Business of the assembly should be referred to his ministry through the judiciary of southern Sudan for final directive on whether it was a constitutional conflict or not.
The minister further said leaders should either eliminate corruption otherwise, if they are not careful, corruption will eliminate them, remarks justice Makwir.
Also, he urged 231 lawyers to be committed in their duties and responsibilities in the ten states of southern Sudan where they would be deployed and armed with the necessary implements for discharging their duties.
However, he said before deployment, they have to under go English language orientation at British Council Center in Nairobi as most of them are from Arab pattern to introduce them to CPA, legislation processes.
Although the minister describe University of Khartoum was one of the best and leading in Africa, he said the new lawyers were exempted from Sudan Bar examination because the setup system of the bar examination was based on Islamic Sharia.
The minister added that his ministry will setup institute for legal training that will admit undergraduate law students before joining any legal practicing in southern Sudan.
“The only safe guide for them is to apply the law and be courageous in making decision” he said.
He challenged southern Sudanese officials to report those officials who are involved in stealing public money to either his ministry or anti corruption commission of southern Sudan, adding that those who wise not to appear as witness before court would be protected.
“Please report to us who are the corrupt government officials involved in looting public money. Otherwise, how could we fight corruption if you citizens are not cooperating with legal affairs ministry and the judiciary? Ask the minister.
He said decentralization system has been misunderstood by many people in southern Sudan today but it’s being looked at from tribal prospective. Yet any civil servant could be deploying in any part of southern Sudan states.
(ST)