Africa-Press – South-Sudan. The Executive Director of Community Empowerment for Progress Organization, Edmund Yakani, condemned the removal of the two percent representation for persons with disabilities.
He said the decision to remove the proposed affirmative action was a clear violation of the rights of persons with disabilities.
In a statement released yesterday, Yakani said the Parliamentary Specialised Committee on Legislation and Justice decided to scrap off the proposed representation of persons with disabilities in the forthcoming national general elections in December 2024 without any clear explanations.
“[It] is a clear insult and slap from our national parliamentarians on the face of the population of persons with disabilities,” he said.
“The intended communication from our lawmakers is that they respect and recognise the rights of persons with disabilities, although it is enshrined in our constitution, Bill of Rights Article 29(1), and UNCRPD Article 29, where South Sudan is a state party to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which was ratified by the lawmakers and signed into law by the President on February 24, 2023,” he said.
Yakani appealed to the president, the leadership of the parliament, and the lawmakers who are champions of inclusion to ensure that the proposals are not removed in the third reading.
He said any attempt to pass the National Elections Act, 2012 (amendments) Bill, 2023 without the proposal would attract a court case challenging the law.
He promised to take to the East African Court of Justice to challenge the National Elections Act amendment for being discriminatory against the direct representation and participation of persons with disabilities and a violation of UNCRPD by our parliament.
For More News And Analysis About South-Sudan Follow Africa-Press
