S. Sudan’s President dissolves Parliament, Council of States

May 9, 2021 (JUBA) – South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir has dissolved the country’s parliament as part of the September 2018 peace agreement.

Kiir’s decision was announced on the state-owned television on Saturday.

The new Parliament will, in accordance with the 2018 peace deal, have up to 550 lawmakers, the majority of them from the governing party (SPLM). On the other hand, 100 members will form the Council of States, up from 50.

The lawmakers will, however, not be elected, but nominated by the different parties.

The president made no mention of when the new assembly will be formed.

CEPO, a civil society entity, welcomed the dissolution of the national parliament, saying the decision was long overdue.

“The reconstitution of the parliament should be done urgently. The trends of delaying the reconstitution should be avoided. The absence of parliament has contributed to the below-expectation implementation of the revitalized peace agreement,” Edmund Yakani, CEPO’s executive director said Monday.

South Sudan formed a coalition government in February 2020, but the country’s rival factions are yet to implement a peace deal that ended a civil war.

(ST)