Africa-Press – South-Sudan. The peace monitoring body, Reconstituted Joint Monitoringand Evaluation Commission (RJMEC) has called on the Government of National Unityto expedite with the formation of states legislatures. The founding of states legislatures would help in enacting laws, deliberate on urgent matters in the states and perform other subnational duties.
Speaking during the 19th RJMEC meeting on Thursday, RJMEC Interim Chairperson Maj. GenCharles Tai Gituai said that parties need to accelerate with the formation of states legislatures to fully operate.
“Proper functioning government requires the fulloperation of the three branches of government, the executive, the legislativeand the judiciary, at both the national and subnational levels,” Gituai said.
He further called on the Revitalized Transitional Governmentof National Unity (RTGoNU) to reconstitute the Commissions and Institutions,such as the National Audit Chamber and the Anti-Corruption Commission as perArticles 4.4 and 4.5 of the R-ARCSS at the national level, as envisaged in thePeace Agreement.
RJMEC chair said that Transitional Security Arrangements,redeployment and DDR process and mainly the unification of forces remained as acritical concern.
Though some progress had been made in the areas ofgovernance, economics, transitional justice and the permanentconstitution-making process. Gituai also appealed to leaders of the parties toimmediately resolve the ratio of unified command structures to pave way forNecessary Unified Forces.
“Over two-thirds of the flood-affected counties are confrontedwith high levels of food insecurity, poor access to basic services and face thethreat of water borne diseases,” Gituai lamented.
He urged the government to establish the over-due SpecialReconstitution Fund (SRF)to work closely with international partners to formthe board to response to humanitarian needs.
According to the United Nations Office for theCoordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) on humanitarian situation, around700,000 people were affected by flooding with 27 counties across the eightstates. With Jonglei, Unity, Northern Bhar el Ghazal and Upper Nile the worsthit states.
Gen. Gituai expressed his concern over the safety ofaid-workers across the country and he urged government to grant fullprotection. “I would like to urge the RTGoNU and all concernedparties to ensure the protection and safety of aid workers to enable thedelivery of much needed humanitarian services,” he said.
“I reiterate my concern that we are already behind theagreed timelines and the implementation schedule. According to the timelines ofthe Agreement, it is 16 months to the end of the Transitional Period. Despiteall that has been achieved, a lot remains to be done,” he added.
Last August, hundreds of lawmakers to the ReconstitutedTransitional National Legislative Assembly’s upper and lower houses in Jubawere sworn in. This came after President Salva Kiir reconstituted bothnational and states legislative assembly. The Transitional Parliament consistof 550 members, while Council of States composed of 100 members.
For More News And Analysis About South-Sudan Follow Africa-Press
