South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir has reconstituted the upper house of parliament, the council of states, in line with the revitalised peace agreement from September 2018.
The weekend announcement paves the way for the appointment of legislators from the opposition side in the conflict to the council of states, which will now consist of representatives of the 10 regional states.
The peace agreement expands the upper house from previously 50 to 100 representatives.
The appointed members of the reconstituted council of states and the 550 MPs appointed for the lower house of parliament are expected to be sworn in on Friday, during the country’s 10th anniversary of independence.
Yet an activist tells the BBC the process of reconstituting the ppper house is long overdue, because it should have happened one year and half ago.
“I don’t see any tangible role the two houses: the upper house and the lower house will play because it’s all about getting people into government’s positions. What the people of South Sudan want to see is not how many MPs are there. The question is how much of an oversight role they will play?,” said Jame David Kolok, head of the Foundation for Democracy and Accountable Governance.
He said it was better late than never, but urged the legislators to “play an oversight role and reduce corruption and pass the budget”.
Source: BBC
