Lakes State Speaker dissolves all specialised parliamentary committees

October 24, 2012 (RUMBEK) – The Speaker of Lakes State‘s Legislative Assembly, John Marik Makur MP, dissolved all specialized committees seats on Wednesday after MPs voted to limit membership of the parliamentary groups to a maximum of two years.

Each of South Sudan’s ten states has its own parliament, Governor and ministers selected from elected state-level MPs. Lakes State’s parliament has 49 members and 18 specialize committees.

State parliament’s were established in 2005 as part of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement that ended decades of civil war and a transitional period until South Sudan voted to seceded from Sudan in 2011.

During the transitional period, elections in 2010 saw former rebels the SPLM reinforce its control of South Sudanese politics.

Taban Abel Aguek MP, who represents Awerial County in the state parliament appreciated the decision made by speaker to dissolve specialized committees.

“This is a very good step taken by [the] Speaker – it is also a great chance for my colleague MPs to contest over those specialize seats to save public interest instead of idle sitting” said Abel.

The recently-passed Lakes State Conduct of Business bill empowers the Speaker to dissolved committees based on article 116(2)g.

Speaker Makur declared after the dissolution of specialize committees, that Lakes State MPs would be give seven days to lobby him to become Chairpersons of the committees.

According to Regulation 116(2)g the Speaker shall appoint the new Chairperson from those nominated by other members of parliament. The Committee chairperson will still have to be endorsed by a unanimous vote of the whole assembly.

Regulation 11 sub regulation 2(e) further states that “in case of a tie or a dispute in the county college, the case shall be settled by the whole assembly through voting”.

(ST)