By Taban Tom Henry
The Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs Ruben Madol Arol said the Local Government Act amendment is on hold awaiting the permanent constitutional making process to enact permanent constitution.
He revealed this during his presentation at the ongoing 6th governor’s forum yesterday.
Justice Madol in his remark stated that the Local government Act is shelf in ministry of justice awaiting the constitutional making process that is to conform with the constitutional structure that is going to federal.
“Local government board just like any other law at this point in time were enacted under the interim constitution of Southern Sudan at that time and all those laws needed to be reviewed and the mandate to review those laws first in the ministry of justice as well as the law review commission however is just very simple for one to say we are to review these laws,” he said.
He hinted that the review of the law itself will need human resources and funding
“It has not been possible since 2011 to have all these laws of South Sudan reviewed except the local government act which was reviewed by the law review commission in 2015 and that was to reconcile the provision of that act that were contradicting the judiciary act that was the only aspect of the local government act that was reviewed in 2015’ he elaborated.
Local government as a structure of governance under the state governor’s and above the state government there comes the national government and all this in the context of centralized system of governance that is going to be reviewed.
You would not need to rush on the amendment of the local government act till you have seen all other aspects that would need to be amended to conform to the constitutional structure that is going to be federal. That is why the Local government Act is shelfed in ministry of justice awaiting the constitutional making process apart from the other challenges that are there which are obviously resources-related” he said.
The minister of Justice stated that the 2015 review brought the agreement for the first time as the matter of principle and as part of the resolution of the conflict in the Republic of South Sudan.
He noted that the concept of the federalism system of governance was agreed by all the parties and became part of the agreement and continuous as part of the agreement up to date.
“The local government act is going to be reviewed once more but in the light of the political constitutional development of the mandate happening this day in the constitutional making process,” he added.