The National Legislative Assembly speaker on Tuesday issued a decree relieving all parliamentary committees’ chairpersons and their deputies.

Manasseh Magok Rundial’s decree was announced via the parliament’s notice board on Wednesday, stipulating new appointments would be made, without yet disclosing the list, the Catholic Radio Network reported.

The same media reported on Wednesday that some MPs protested against the new appointments, saying the speaker’s selection criteria were inappropriate and did not reflect regional balance.

MPs suggested that the SPLM caucus should sit first to decide on the appointments of new chairpersons and deputies before approval by the parliament collectively.

The Speaker earlier this month delivered a forceful speech complaining of lack of funds for the parliament operations, blaming “budget indiscipline by the Ministry of Finance” for failure to release allocated funds for the parliament.

He is yet to speak publically to explain the anticipated changes in the leadership of the parliamentary committees.

South Sudan’s parliament had not convened since the outbreak of national crisis in December until reopened early this month.

File photo: Hon. Manasseh Magok Rundial, Speaker of South Sudan’s National Legislative Assembly

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