Africa-Press – South-Sudan. The cabinet directed the minister of justice and constitutional affairs, Ruben Madol, to write to the parties to the peace agreement to ask them to nominate members to the permanent constitution-making process committees.
The directive came after Madol presented a report on implementing the constitution-making process to the cabinet last Friday.
Addressing the media after the council of ministers meeting, Michael Makuei, the minister of information, said the timeframe for the process of permanent constitution-making would be dependent on the progress made.
“So if we start now, we will even finish the establishment of the committees before the actual period of the extension. “So this period is enough, and we are aware of it unless people decide not to work; but if people are serious and they want to accomplish the task, it will happen,” Makuei said.
The process of implementing the permanent constitution starts with the reconstitution of the National Constitutional Amendment Committee, the formation of the Constitutional Drafting Committee, and a preparatory subcommittee.
The constitution’s first draft will be presented to the minister of justice, and the national assembly will review it before passing it to the president for enactment.
“This process is starting now and it is likely to end in February 2024. “So it’s a process, and the timing is dependent on progress,” Makuei explained.
If there is no progress, definitely it may delay, or if there is real progress, it may finish earlier, but that is the situation,” Makuei stated.
“That is what the minister presented to us. It was deliberated upon, the cabinet approved the presentation, and the minister of justice is authorised to operationalise the presentation that he made.”
Makuei said they would be waiting as the minister of justice is expected to write to the parties to nominate their members to the committee.
In December last year, President Salva Kiir signed the Permanent Constitution-Making Process Act along with other bills required by the revitalized peace agreement.
However, according to the implementation matrix of the roadmap, the committees charged with the drafting of the new constitution were supposed to be formed in December, when the deadline has passed.
Also, in his presentation, the minister of justice requested that the term of the Judicial Reform Committee be extended as requested by the committee.
“This was approved and the approval is for one year beginning today 27 up to 26 of January next year. In so doing they would have had complete one year and this will mark the end of their so that was also approved and the cabinet passed a resolution to that effect,” Makuei told the journalists.
The 12-member judicial reform committee was established on July 28, 2022, by First Vice President Dr Riek Machar in accordance with the provision of the peace agreement on the judiciary in Article (1.17) to build the capacity of the judiciary, personnel, and infrastructure, as well as to study and make recommendations to the RTGoNU for consideration.
The finalization of JRC tasks and the submission of recommendations to the RTGoNU were supposed to be completed within six months from the date of its establishment.
Source: The City Review South Sudan
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