The Eastern Equatoria State government has announced that the reconstituted legislative assembly will open for its first session on 9th February 2022.
In a letter addressed to members of the house and seen by Radio Tamazuj, the acting clerk in the assembly Augustino Victor Lokong directed members to report to Torit, the state capital, and prepare for the swearing-in ceremony to take place during the opening.
The members of the state assembly, from different parties to the revitalized peace agreement, were appointed in mid-November by President Salva Kiir.
Civil society activists have welcomed the move and urged the parliament to prioritize matters affecting the people of Eastern Equatoria state.
Charles Onen Lokwaruk of the Civil Society Network for Eastern Equatoria State said an operation legislature will provide checks and balances for the government.
“If we look critically we have been missing legislation, and if this is the move taken by the government and our president for us as civil society organizations we want to say this is a welcome move. We hope this time now our legislative assembly will support government programs. This organ of the government will now allow the full functionality of the government,” Onen said. “Secondly, it will allow discussion of issues affecting the population they are representing. Thirdly, this will also provide checks and balances for government and development partners’ programs.”
Oryema Emmanuel, another civil society activist says, “That is exactly what we had been waiting for, the non-functioning parliament had made things to be very difficult in South Sudan. I think if we have a functional parliament it is very simple and easy for us to present the issues that concern the citizens and us as the activists.”
The activist also urged the state assembly to speak to the issues of the people they represent.
“It should not be a rubber-stamp parliament but should be a parliament that discusses issues or matters of the people, country, state,” he said. “One is the issue of insecurity, two, is the proper utilization of natural resources to benefit the people of the state, number three we have to open a good road network so that we can be able to engage in agricultural activities, produce goods that we can use the good road and serve the town.”