A bill giving new powers to South Sudan’s National Security Service has generated substantial media coverage and controversy. The National Assembly failed to pass the bill in a vote on 8 October 2014, owing to lack of quorum.
The final vote on the bill witnessed a breach within the ruling party, as a large bloc of MPs declined to show up to support the bill, in spite of President Salva Kiir’s backing for the new legislation.
Below is a timeline of reports on this major political development:
Document: South Sudan’s National Security Bill (30 Sept.) –A draft version of the bill is published. The bill gives broad powers to the National Security Service (NSS) to detain people without warrant or charge.
S Sudan: vote on controversial NSS bill delayed until Tuesday (5 Oct.) – After passing in earlier readings, a final vote on the NSS bill is unexpectedly delayed.
Bill requires South Sudan secret police to swear obedience (6 Oct.) – Radio Tamazuj reports that the draft version of the bill will give NSS officers police powers to secretly arrest citizens and will require the security officers to take an oath of obedience before President Salva Kiir.
South Sudan MPs fail to show up for vote on Kiir loyalty oath (7 Oct.) – The ruling party caucus leaders abort an attempt to reach quorum on the NSS bill before a vote can be taken in the Assembly. This represents yet another delay.
Hundreds of MPs absent during vote on Kiir’s security bill (8 Oct.) – The Speaker moves forward with a vote in the House but no more than 84 out of 309 lawmakers are present, falling far short of the constitutionally requisite quorum of 155.
Photos: S Sudan assembly largely empty during security vote (9 Oct.) – Photographs taken inside the Assembly Hall show that not enough MPs were present for a quorum at the time of the vote on the NSS Bill.
Atem Garang raised concern about security bill prior to vote (9 Oct.) – A report emerges that the former chief whip raised questions about the NSS bill shortly before it was put to vote.
SPLM-DC warns of ‘ghost houses like Khartoum’ (9 Oct.) – In a press conference after the 8 Oct. vote, parliament minority leader Onyoti Adigo warns that the new bill will create secret detention facilities where people can be held incommunicado.
Document: Assembly edits to the NSS bill (9 Oct.) – A parliamentary committee report details some of the technical and substantive changes made to the NSS Bill before it was passed to the final reading.
Bill sidelines South Sudan security minister (9 Oct.) – Radio Tamazuj reports that the terms of the new NSS bill partly formalize the direct role of the president in supervising NSS departmental heads, while limiting the National Security minister to a largely advisory role.
Document: South Sudan’s revised National Security Bill (10 Oct.) – An amended version of the bill is published. This is the version that the Speaker of the Assembly claims was approved by parliament.
Natl. Security ‘not immune from prosecution’ (10 Oct.) – Ruling party members defend the new bill, saying it contains safeguards against abuse. They stress that the provision for immunity of members of the Service, contained in the draft version, was removed from the newest version.
S Sudan ex-justice minister warns of ‘disregard of the constitution’ (13 Oct.) – Ex-Justice Minister John Luk denies authoring an article critical of the new NSS bill, but nonetheless warns of growing lawlessness in the country and its institutions.
Political parties to Kiir: don’t sign security bill (17 Oct.) – Members of the PPLF, an association of opposition parties, appeal to President Kiir not to assent to the bill and instead return it to parliament for reconsideration. They refer to the lack of quorum at the time the bill was voted on.