S. Sudanese lawmakers ready to re-debate security bill

December 27, 2014 (JUBA) – A member of South Sudan’s parliament says lawmakers were ready for re-start debate of the security bill, which was recently returned to the assembly by President Salva Kiir.

The head of parliamentary committee for information and communication, Thomas Kundu told Sudan Tribune Saturday that the house had received the Security Service Bill for further scrutiny.

“Yes, the bill has been has returned to the parliament for further scrutiny. It will now start from afresh. It will go through all the normal parliamentary procedures. Like a new bill, it will have to start at the committee level then to the first reading, second and third reading before it is subjected to parliamentary debates where final decision making mechanism will be made”, said Kundu.

The legislator, one of the 46 members from Equatoria region who petitioned president Kiir to not sign the bill into law, commended the latter for returning the controversial bill, saying there were “grey areas” of concerns and that the law threatened people’s freedom.

Some MPs had earlier argued that the bill contravened constitutional provisions.

“We need a bill which can include views and ideas of all the people because as we know security is everyone’s responsibility not for individual,” said MP Kundu.

“We will discuss it frankly and clearly and ensure that we correct all the controversial provisions, and replace them with good ones so that we have general and appropriate bill for the people in the country,” he stressed.

The draft bill will later be sent to the defense and security committee for scrutiny.
“I am confident that you will find that there is nothing in this law that goes against the bill of rights or any provision of the constitution… its intent is to protect the lives and property for all the citizens of this Republic,” the lawmaker further told Sudan Tribune.

In October, local and international human right entities urged president Kiir to veto an “abusive” security bill that gives sweeping powers to the National Security Service (NSS).

There are widespread concerns that the bill, passed on 8 October, gives NSS officers sweeping powers, including to arrest and detain suspects, yet the Transitional Constitution permits NSS to focus on “information gathering, analysis and advice.”

(ST)