Administrative issues delay Torit parliament opening: speaker

Photo: Speaker Charles Udwar

The Transitional Legislative Assembly in South Sudan’s Torit State has delayed to open for nearly a month due to administrative issues, the speaker said Sunday.

The Transitional Legislative Assembly in South Sudan’s Torit State has delayed to open for nearly a month due to administrative issues, the speaker said Sunday.

Charles Udwar Ukech said the assembly would open once the issues, which he did not name, are resolved.

“Well there are some few administrative issues we are sorting out with the governor and once we completely resolve those issues, we will be able to come and continue with our normal duty in the parliament,” said Udwar.

Udwar said a lot of bills, policy statements and the state budget have to be passed before formation of the transitional government.

Separately, the state information minister, Margret Idwa Okuye urged citizens not to worry about when parliament would officially open.

She refuted claims that administrative issues were delaying opening of parliament, insisting that both the governor and speaker were absent at the time the assembly was scheduled to open in February.

“Definitely, there is some hope and I just want to assure you that from now onwards, parliament will be opened. It was just that they were not around and so there should be no worry from citizens that may be there is a problem,” said Idwar.

She added, “But there is no problem, if there are problems, at least to the best of my knowledge we have not experienced any problem”.

The state legislative assembly, which closed for recess on November 12, 2018, was officially scheduled to open on February 11, 2019.