South Sudan’s parliamentary minority leader Onyoti Adigo Nyikuac has criticized his fellow legislators for debating the NGO bill in the absence of the 50 members who were nominated by the SPLM-In Opposition.
President Salva Kiir appointed the nominees following the SPLM-IO submission of their names. The parliament discussed the NGO bill in its first reading stage yesterday.
Adigo, who is a member of the Democratic Change party, said in a statement to Radio Tamazuj after the session that the sitting shows the government is not committed to the implementation of the peace agreement. He said parliament should have adjourned until all members were present.
“The government is not committed to implementing the peace agreement. Now there is a big problem between them and the SPLM-IO which is the issue of 28 states to be incorporated in the constitution. This violates the peace agreement. It is a disaster I think. So the sitting was not legal if they were to implement the peace agreement,” Adigo said.
The minority leader said the bill was referred to the committees of justice and human rights and humanitarian affairs.