The parties to the revitalized peace agreement have written to the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) seeking an extension of the mandate of the National Constitutional Amendment Committee (NCAC) which expired in February, a member of the committee said.
Wani Michael, who sits on the National Constitution Amendment Committee (NCAC) as a youth representative, told Radio Tamazuj on Monday that the peace partners wrote to IGAD because the work of the NCAC ground to a halt after the expiration of the body’s mandate on 22 February.
“It was not us but the parties (to the agreement) and the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (RJMEC) because the work of NCAC came to an end on February 22, 2021. So there is a discussion to extend the mandate of NCAC that is why the parties have written to IGAD to extend the mandate of the NCAC,” Wani said.
According to the youth representative, the Revitalized Transitional Government of National Unity has penned a letter to IGAD.
“What I know is that SPLM-IO has written, IG-government has written and I think SSOA also wrote and remaining OPP and I don’t know if Former Detainees (FDs) have written theirs. They have written to IGAD to extend the mandate of the NCAC. At the moment the mandate of the NCAC elapsed,” Wani revealed.
Asked if the NCAC was working, Wani said, “No we are not working because our mandate is not there. We are waiting for instructions from IGAD on whether our mandate is extended or not. So, we are not working at the moment unless it is renewed by the government and IGAD.”
Last month the interim chairman of RJMEC, Gen. Charles Tai Gituai, sounded an alarm about the NCAC’s expiry while briefing members of the body.
“The mandate of the NCAC expired on 22 February 2021, which means that it cannot continue unless its mandate is renewed. There are also other laws which the NCAC has not yet reviewed as required by the R-ARCSS,” Gen. Tai said. “I am aware that IGAD has written to the RTGoNU identifying it as an appropriate authority to extend the mandate of the NCAC so that it may complete its outstanding critical tasks. I urge the RTGoNU to settle this matter quickly.”