Keji Janefer
Africa-Press – South-Sudan. The First Vice President, Dr Riek Machar, has asked that all bills, including the Political Parties Act, 2012, that were passed without the participation of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition, be sent back to the parliament.
Machar made the plea on Thursday during the signing of the roadmap extending the term of the peace agreement.
Even after the speaker reported the incident to President Salva Kiir, neither Machar nor the president, made a statement of intent to resolve the dispute.
Since the Transitional National Legislative Assembly changed the 300 voter registrations, originally revised by the National Constitutional Amendment Committee (NCAC) to 500 and omitted a section of marginalized and minority groups in the bill in June, SPLM-IO members have boycotted parliamentary sessions.
Articles 1.14.8 and 9 of the revitalized agreement mandate the TNLA in conducting its business to garner the support of the two-third majority in the Parliament.
However, Machar said some members of the parties to the agreement tend to read and forget articles of the agreement. He said he met MPs of SPLM-IO four times since they declared a boycott to evaluate if there was a reason for them to go back, but they maintained that they would not go back until the issue is addressed.
“This agreement gives us the freedom to work, whether in the executive or parliament. If there are differences, there is also a way of doing it. It is not their tendency, it is the consensus they generate in parliament,’’ he said.
“I personally, when I was told I wrote to the president, I repeated all concerns because it was the first incident… the SPLM-IG and its allies have the mechanical majority to pass anything they want to do, but then they would forget that there is an article which is 1.14.8 that tells you in parliament that in doing your business you must support the agreement.”
He asked the legislators to conduct House business in tandem with the dictates of the agreement.
“We took a stand as IO in parliament when the Rt. honourable made a summary of what she thought about the political parties Act. The IO MPs objected.”
“Parliament has passed one security bill, the SSPDF bill or Act, while the rest are still pending. I [suggest that] any of these that have been passed in the absence of IO should return to parliament, including the political party bill, so that we do it together. “
The new national budget, however, has been presented to the assembly by the outgoing finance minister. But Machar argued that it will only have significance if it is examined and approved by the August house with the participation of all political parties.
He mentioned difficulties in operation and interaction between the parties to the agreement.
John Agany, a TNLA spokesperson, said last week that passing the budget was compulsory and necessary for the operation of the government and that the parliament would continue with the review while speaking to City Review after the new budget was presented to the national legislature.
“Our brothers in IO should come and join us.” It is not too late. Today is the beginning. If they make their decision to join us tomorrow, they are welcome. We are not here to reject them. But if they for any reason abstain themselves from this thing, we are here to quarrel. We have to continue with government activities, ” he said.
Agany added that the Political Parties Act can be amended once more after 30 days as an Act, but not as a bill if the Presidency refers it back to the house.
Agany remarked that the dispute in the parliament ceased to exist despite no tangible efforts to bring back the parties boycotting the sittings.
“The quarrel has ceased to exist. There is no quarrel anymore. The thing has been sent to the level of the principle of the agreement. If they come up with any other advice contrary to what we have done, then it will be by the national legislature. “
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