Africa-Press – South-Sudan. Parliamentarians have been urged to pull forces together and pass all the pending bills in the House, with Speaker Jemma Nunu Kumba stressing President Salva Kiir’s earlier calls that there will be no further extension to the current transposal period.
Speaker Nunu reminded the legislatures of the critical role parliament plays in the ongoing peace process, adding that South Sudanese will judge them by their contribution to the peace process, from the floor of the House.
“We need to use the 24 months very effectively on important matters,” said Nunu during the first session of Parliament yesterday.
Nunu stressed the need for parliament to work together, irrespective of party affiliations, to deliver all the pending bills currently lying in the house or those that are to be tabled, especially the ones touching on the electoral process.
“As you visited your constituencies, you saw the suffering of the people you represent. It is the image of those people that we should keep in mind even as we sit here in this parliament, to deliberate on bills and laws that can address their plights.
Last month, President Kiir, in his address to the joint session of the reconstituted Transitional National Legislative Assembly, said the honourable members have a packed agenda in the upcoming parliamentary sessions.
He urged the lawmakers to redouble their efforts and cooperate more to pass the laws that are necessary to enable the citizens to successfully hold elections.
“This is important because there will not be another transition when the roadmap ends with the 2024 elections,” he added.
In the last session, the August House reviewed and passed, among others, the security sector reform bill and the permanent constitution-making process bill.
The House is currently waiting for the tabling of the National Election Bill, a critical bill that, once assented into law, will define a clear path for the planned 2024 general election. Nunu said MPs must have tunnel vision and work tirelessly to help deliver the much-needed polls.
“Let us focus on the bigger things,” she added.
Nunu also appealed to lawmakers to start attending parliament sessions, adding that every voice counts.
“This session is going to be very hectic for us. There are a lot of bills that will be coming our way, and I call upon all of you to attend every sitting because we are going to be very busy,” Nunu said.
“We will be tabling bills, and committees are going to be very busy with their work, so attendance is very important,” she noted.
The issue of attendance came to the speaker’s attention after it emerged that over 150 MPs were not in the House, yesterday.
The speaker expressed that there is a need for every member to attend in person as schedules will be very busy.
However, speaker Nunu did not elaborate on what should be done to those who will be present without permission.
Nunu also did not mention whether those members of parliament with double assignments, such as those serving in ministerial positions, will be given special consideration in regard to whether to attend every sitting or not.
However, during the opening of the parliamentary session last month, President Salva Kiir Mayardit appreciated the lawmakers’ work and appealed to them to double their efforts.
“As you resume today, I encourage you to continue with that commendable spirit in this session. We need that spirit now more than ever in order to finish implementing the provisions of the agreement; we did not finish through the roadmap,” Kiir said.
He urged the lawmakers to put their efforts into every parliamentary sitting for the betterment of the country.
The House was sitting for the first time after a short Easter holiday break.
Source: The City Review South Sudan
For More News And Analysis About South-Sudan Follow Africa-Press
