The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) on Thursday concluded a 4-day inter-institutional linkages workshop in Rumbek, Lakes State.
The workshop was attended by members of the Lakes State Legislative Assembly, the executive, judiciary, civil society, and the media.
The UNMISS political affairs officer in the Rumbek field office, Athian Majak told Radio Tamazuj that the workshop was aimed at improving inter-institutional collaboration and cooperation for effective delivery of services.
He said the training will improve the working relations of the different government institutions.
“We brought them together and each pillar, like executive, judiciary and legislature they talked and each made a presentation about the role as provided in the constitution and so they have now known their respective roles in the state constitution,” Majak said.
He added that the workshop was attended by all members of the state parliament-100 in number, 30 executive members, and three from the judiciary. In addition, civil society and the media were represented bringing the total attendance to 150.
The former speaker of the Lakes State assembly John Marik Makur said, “You as the legislature. You have to promote good governance. There are four principles which include maintenance of rule of law, accountability, and transparency when there is money than that has to be brought to assembly for approval and allocation.”
He adds, “We need to participate in good governance effectively by being part of the peace process. Whether people like it or not we belong to the people and those people you need to ensure they are stable.”
The minister of cabinet affairs in Lakes State Stephen Mathiang Deng Monydit said the workshop was also an induction for first-time members of parliament.
“The purpose of the workshop was induction course for the assembly members especially the new members and the joint one was for executive and assembly discussing and identifying the constitutional function of the executive and the assembly and at the same the judiciary. We have three pillars of the government plus the civil society,” minister Mathiang said.
The minister stressed the importance of cooperation among all the pillars of the government saying that is the only way to achieve the state goals.
“Without any of them, there is something which is lacking. What is important is to serve our people as one Lakes State and as one nation,” he noted.