South Sudan parliament opens up competition for specialised committees
By Ngor Arol Garang
October 20, 2011 (JUBA) – The National Legislative Assembly of the of South Sudan on Thursday expressed that it encourages competition among members of the house to freely choose the heads of the specialised committees.
Speaking to journalists on Thursday the assembly speaker, James Wani Igga reiterated that the move is aimed at paving the way for reselection so that members who were in Khartoum national assembly assume some of the seats.
Igga said there are 96 members who were in Khartoum parliament before independence were incorporated into the new national parliament after independence.
“We had members representing different constituencies from South Sudan from different political parties before we could secede from the North. We had 96 members elected to into the national parliament during the last elections. They need positions in the specialised committees, which is their right,” Igga told journalists at the premises of the national assembly on Thursday.
“They can not be denied their right to compete for any position. It is their right,” he added, explaining that 36 positions of chairpersons and deputies will be contested.
South Sudan president Salva Kiir in August appointed 66 members of parliament of 332 members to represent civil society, private sector and other political parties.
“We must be fair and just because we are the lawmakers and this was why some of us went to the bush. We took up arms to fight the central government in Sudan because of the absence of justice and fairness and therefore marginalisation,” Igga said on Thursday.
“So based on this, and based on just consultation at this moment, we have agreed […] the other parties, including SPLM DC [Sudan People’s Movement – Democratic Change], referring to the opposition party in the parliament, will also participate in the run. It is a free competition among the members regardless of their political affiliation, after all they are all members of the same house”, said Igga.
He explained that the SPLM-DC will have three seats – eight per cent of the parliament.
John Agany Deng Kawac, a member of the 96 members who returned from Khartoum told Sudan Tribune that intensive lobbying among members aspiring positions has begun.
“The arrangement is that members are allowed to consult before and election takes place. It is done by states. Members of the assembly representing their states, for example in Northern Bahr el Ghazal, we are now consulting among ourselves to propose at least five names to the desk of the speaker,” said Kawac.
(ST)