By Bid Elly David
The Council of Ministers has extended the mandate of the National Constitutional Amendment Committee (NCAC) by four months as their task clocks towards its deadline.
The NCAC was established under Chapter 1 and Article 13 of the ARCSS as one of the organs for implementation of the Agreement.
Its core mandate was to complete the tasks necessary to prepare for the transition period and the formation of the Transitional Government of National Unity (TGoNU) and draught a Constitutional Amendment Bill incorporating the Peace Agreement into the Transitional Constitution.
Government spokesperson Michael Makuei Lueth said that the extension of the period was made compulsory due to the fact that most provisions remain hanging without accomplishment.
“The period of the committee is ending at the end of this month, and it has not completed its work as there are some 6-7 laws that are still pending, and they have not looked into them. The minister of justice requested the cabinet extend their period,’’ Makuei said.
He said the four months would enable the body to digest and analyze the remaining articles with clear justification to avoid contradictions and blame.
Makuei did not clarify why the constitutional-making process committee failed to finish the remaining provisions as mandated by the agreement.
But previously, the work of the NCAC was delayed after the staff and secretariat were not paid their salary arrears for months.
On the issue of unpaid dues of the staff within the committee, Makuei said that the minister of finance was directed to immediately clear them without delays.
He also did not reveal the interval of time given to the finance ministry to effect, the payment of the committee to avoid another strike, nor did he point out the unpaid months.
“As for their dues, these are things that were already approved, and H.E. the president has directed the payment of their arrears, and they are being processed by the ministry of finance,’’ he said.
Recently, civil society activist Edmund Yakani warned parties to the agreement against delays in the constitutional making process.
Yakani said that delays in the permanent constitutional document would risk the country going back to war as the election process became impeded.
He noted that the parties to the agreement lack political will to respect the revitalized agreement of national unity.
He urged the government to back up the committee with the necessary resources to ensure that the draught constitution is reconstituted to open the country up to elections.