By Bida Elly David
The reconstituted transitional national legislative assembly (TNLA) has invited India to aid South Sudan in development of its permanent constitution amid slow move on the formation of the constitution drafting committee, something activists and political analysts slammed.
According to analysis carried by political analysts and activists, South Sudan parliament and the Council of ministers have erroneously made a mistake to place invitation of help before finishing constitutional process through formation of the committee.
Speaking to No.1 Citizen Daily Newspaper yesterday, Edmund Yakani, the Executive Director for Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) said it will be valueless and shameful for India to intrude on what has not yet been put in place.
“Parliament needs to be pro-active in the constitutional making process if they need India to help them in the permanent development. My worry is that if India comes to help South Sudan and the required time for the constitutional making is not done, there is going to be a problem,” he said.
Yakani further said parliament is seeking for external help for permanent constitutional making yet the peace roadmap timeframe is suffocating is valueless suggesting that the august house ought to push the ministry of justice to reconstitute the drafting committee fast.
“Reconstituting the constitutional draft committee does not need a presidential decree or consensus from the political parties rather demand the parliament to hold the minister of justice by the parliament so that the zero drafting of the constitution for consultation is done,” he said,
The activist said that President Kiir formerly directed the Constitutional drafting committee to commence its work yet the parliament, Council of Ministers and the Ministry of justice are mute.
“It is now the fourth month from the date President Kiir directed the Constitutional drafting committee to commence their work yet it does not exist. The concerned bodies who are the ministry of justice, the parliament and the Council of ministers are quiet and mute over the matter,” he echoed.
Meanwhile, James Boboya, a political analyst recently said that for South Sudan to be transformed into a positive environment of peace to benefit citizens, there should be a political will from the leaders within the government to speed up implementation of the roadmap before deadline.
Boboya said halting bills was one way to slow down the implementation of the agreement particularly the security arrangement and the constitutional development.
Mr. Yakani stressed that the act of delaying formation of the committee is a clear indication of violating president Kiir’s directives on what has not been formulated.
On Wednesday this week, Jemma Nunu Kumba, the speaker of parliament underscored that Indian government particularly the parliament has voluntarily demonstrated will to aid South Sudan government in developing a permanent constitution for the Country.
She said India as a democratic Country in the world through its parliament has not only vowed to develop South Sudan constitution but also promised to modify South Sudan Assembly to meet international standard.
However, the question on the permanent constitution in regards to intervention of India remains unclarified by Nunu whether the August house is going to push the executive especially the ministry of Justice and the Council of ministers to quickly speed up re-constitution of the constitutional drafting committee to work on the draft or not.