Africa-Press – South-Sudan. A coalition of South Sudan opposition parties has filed a lawsuit with the East African Court of Justice (EACJ) against the country’s Political Parties Council (PPC). The lawsuit challenges the PCC’s requirement for substantial registration fees.
The PPC in March imposed a $50,000 fee for provisional registration license, with an additional $25,000 for full registration license, totaling $75,000.
The 14 opposition parties involved in the lawsuit argue that these fees are unreasonable.
Gabriel Kuol Akok, defense lawyer for the political parties, argued that the imposition of a provisional $50,000 registration fee on political parties was unjustified, unlawful, unilateral, and discriminatory.
“The claimed regulation was an unreasonable, illegal, unilateral and discriminatory decision being made by the political party’s council by overcharging [ahead of] general elections in December,” Kuol said in a note of intent to sue addressed to Ruben Madol Arol, Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs on 25th April 2024.
Kuol said his clients delivered a petition letter on 25th March 2024 to PPC rejecting the exorbitant fees but the PPC failed to act on the matter.
“The aforementioned parties didn’t get a response yet and the registration deadline is approaching as the country prepares for upcoming general elections in December,” he said.
He said this leaves his clients with no option but to seek justice before the competent court.
“That regulation that charges the political party leaders to pay these fees in form of hard currency is also a violation of the government financial policy which permits all the transitions to be made in local currency,” he said.
Kuol further stated that political parties exist to represent their members and promote democracy, stating, “political parties are not profile-making organizations.”
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