South Sudan has today sworn in hundreds of lawmakers to the Reconstituted Transitional National Legislative Assembly's upper and lower houses in Juba.

A total of 588 legislators, 504 to the national legislature, and 84 to the Council of States took the oath of office at a ceremony in Juba before Chief Justice Chan Reech. 

According to the peace agreement, the newly reconstituted parliament is made up of 550 members, and the Council of States has 100 members.

Speaking after being sworn in, the new speaker of the R-TNLA Jemma Nunu Kumba called on the MPs to commit themselves to implement the peace agreement. 

“As we implement peace, we, in the Revitalized Transitional National Legislative Assembly are not expected to dwell on campaigning for our respective political gains, the time for that is not now. That time will come when elections are scheduled at the end of the transitional period as for now we should all fully commit to the implementation of the peace agreement as a unity government," Nunu said.

The new deputy speaker, Oyet Nathaniel underscored the implementation of the peace agreement. 

"The agreement directs us to implement critical reforms in the governance of our country. We shall enact laws as directed by the agreement and we shall also oversight on all the organs of government. We shall represent our people in order to pass laws that will better their living conditions, laws that will enhance the development and the progress of our country,” Oyet stated.

According to the assembly's clerk Makuac Makuac Ngong, 36 appointees were absent during the swearing-in ceremony. 

Early last month, President Salva Kiir reconstituted both the upper and lower houses of the national legislature.