Jenifer James
Africa-Press – South-Sudan. The Members of Parliament representing Cuiebet County, Juol Nhomngek, criticised the cancellation of the House recess arguing that the president needs to pay the lawmakers for extra duties.
In an exclusive interview with The City Review on Thursday, Nhomngek argued that although the postponement of recess is a normal decision by the president, the law requires that the lawmakers be paid in that period.
According to Nhomngek, the extension of the first session of parliament is done without the consultation of the members of parliament.
“If the president cancelled the recess he was supposed to buy, not just to cancel it as he wishes, it is illegal,” he claimed, adding that there was no communication about the payment.
However, other lawmakers have the contrary opinion. For instance, John Agany of the SPLM backed the extension of the first session of parliament, saying the members need to see the 2024–2025 budget and work on it.
“Extension of the first session of the parliament is the normal thing since we have a 2024–2025 budget that is yet to be presented by the minister of finance and other bills. I don’t see any problem with the extension,” Agany said.
On Wednesday, the speaker of the parliament officially extended the first session of the parliament in 2024 until further notice.
In her Wednesday order, Speaker Jemma Nunu Kumba said due to the significant number of pending bills and the forthcoming budget presentation, it is reasonable for the members to proceed.
“Therefore, the current session will be extended despite being scheduled for recess according to our calendar; we must continue our work officially to finalize our tasks and address the national budget. This decision is per the regulations that mandate consultation with the President.”
The clearest procedure is in Regulation (23) and Sub-Regulation (2), which stipulates that the first term of the parliament must begin on the first of April and end on the last Wednesday of June. This comes with the conclusion of the first session of the parliament in 2024 last week under the assembly procedural rule.
Source: The City Review South Sudan
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