What are the achievements, challenges, and way forward?
By Victor Dodo
The Revitalized Transitional National Legislative Assembly was reconstituted in 2021 as per the Agreement on the Resolution of the conflict in the Republic of South Sudan.
Membership of the National Legislative Assembly was expanded from 400-550, with SPLM-IG bagging three hundred and thirty-two (332) representatives, SPLM- IO, 128 members, other political parties OPP-30 and former detainees with 10.
We look back two years since the Transitional National Legislative Assembly was reconstituted, what strides have been made and what still remains unfinished.
To unpack this, Victor Dodo sat down with speaker of the National Legislative Assembly Jemma Nunu Speaker for an extensive and in-depth conversation.
Madam speaker, thank you for accepting to talk to me.
Let’s begin with the most fundamental.
what is the role of the National Legislative Assembly?
Speaker :The role of parliament is clear, one is the enactment of laws, also in our law private members bills are also allowed, any member can initiate a bill and bring it for enactment, it’s second mandate is oversight role, checking on the executive in terms of their functions, to see whether the laws enacted by parliament are being implemented, parliament oversee the work of the executive in terms of service delivery and be able to questions the ministers if things are not going well.
Parliament also plays important role in parliamentary diplomacy, engaging with other parliaments in the region and globally to be part of the global efforts of parliaments to address global issues such as environmental issues, conflicts, and others.
These are the key three mandate of the parliament.
What are the roles of parliamentarians?
Speaker: The main mandate of this parliament is to oversee implementation of the peace agreement so the role of the parliament, the people expect from their members to raise issues that affect them such as insecurity, gender-based violence, the inflation, low salaries of civil servants these are the issues people expect their representatives in parliament to talk about.
As parliament we have called the ministers and executive to respond to some of these queries.
What progress has the parliament made, two years down line?
Speaker: As a transitional parliament that managing the transitional period and the revitalized peace agreement the main focus for this parliament is to oversee the parties implementation of the agreement by the parties to the agreement, we have made several amendments to the constitutions, all security laws were reviewed and amended namely SSPDF Act, National Police service Act, National Police Act, Civil defense, and the rest of the organized forces.
Important bills namely the constitution making process bill, the political party Act were passed and signed into law by the president. We also ratified five protocols and conventions including the Maputo protocol which the African Union and the international community were very much concerned about, we also made sixty resolutions, so passing all these bills and ratification of international conventions and protocols is an achievement.
We participated in the 12th East Africa parliamentary games in Arusha-Tanzania and also hosted the same games which brought together one thousand people from member states of the East Africa Community.
The visitors show and prove for themselves that the situation in South Sudan is alright not as bad as is reported in the media.
We have made significant improvement in the infrastructure of the parliament, we have put offices for security organs, kitchen, and washrooms, we have a well-equipped restaurant for the members of parliament to serve and eat food.
Office space was a challenge consequently we have built a complex containing thirty-two conducive and spacious office spaces for the thirty-two-parliament specialized standing committees. The expansion work on the parliament building is progressing well however it will still not be enough to accommodate both houses (National Assembly and Council of states) as result we are putting up an extra temporary hall within the same premises in the western side for that purpose.
We have also been visible in the region and international arena including the East African Community Legislative Assembly, we recently elected nine members in a fair, transparent, and credible elections to represent South Sudan in this regional parliament.
Who is funding these parliament infrastructural development and what is the cost estimate?
Speaker: I leave that to the administration; it is done in bits so accumulatively the figure can be got from the administration. Recently a section of the media quoted the clerk saying that the parliament gate alone was developed at a whooping cost of five million dollars, this is completely misleading and wrong, five million is a accumulative cost covering other developmental projects here in parliament.
What is your assessment of implementation of the Revitalized peace agreement?
Speaker: Considerable progress has been made in the implementation of the peace agreement including the training and graduation of the first batch of the necessary unified forces however they have not been deployed because of the challenges of arms embargo which has reduced the capability of the government to procure arms for these forces.
This as we hear from the executive is a big challenge, the government is expected to provide security in the country but how do you execute this mandate without arms? So, we have always appealed in all our interactions with the international community to look into this and grant a special consideration for the necessary unified forces to be equipped and deployed.
What is your assessment of the implementation of the revitalized peace agreement?
Speaker: Of course, the pace is a bit slow because of the challenges enumerated if anything is to be done, we need to expediate the implementation of the provisions in the agreement especially those highlighted in the road map. Our president has made it very clear that elections have to take place at the end of the transitional period but before that certain processes has to take place, however experts know what options are available in case census is not conduct and most important is the permanent constitution making process, this needs to be expedited.
What is your take on the representation of women in the government has it met the 35% quota?
Speaker: In the executive we have only one female governor opposed to three as stipulated in the agreement, so yes, we have some women in the executive but not exactly 35%, we fell short of some percentage. Here in the national parliament, it’s myself, the chief whip and for the specialized standing committees I made sure heads of specialized standing committees, I ensured 35% is implemented. From side of SPLM and SPLM-IO the 35% quota has been achieved for women in the leadership here in parliament. Our challenge was with other parties including the National Agenda, Other Political parties, and South Sudan Opposition Movement Alliance, this delayed the establishment of the leadership of parliament, SSOA and OPP managed to submit their female nominees. National Agenda failed to present their nominee, so we moved on with leadership set-up in parliament.
For example, in the SPLM we have seventeen positions for deputy chairpersons of the standing committees out of which eleven were women.
What challenges do you face as a female leader and what steps have you taken to overcome?
Speaker: There are several challenges. In a post war governance, many people are frustrated when they don’t get their interest, they turn it against you.
Our society is yet to accept the issue of gender equity, you expect this with any other woman leader across the globe, example belittling my work, this is not happening because of the speaker.
These are male chauvinistic attitude against a female leader. some feel this is not the time for women to be in leadership however majority of the men and women in parliament support my leadership.
I don’t really mind about that, my advice to the male counterparts is to respect women in leadership as women do the same for men in leadership.
As we wrap-up, could you convey your peace message to south Sudanese?
Speaker: Am always for peace, I talk about peace because there is nothing you can do without peace, we can have beautiful programs and dreams on paper but without peace you can do nothing.
My message to South Sudanese is we have been through war, its consequences, so we are better placed now to make informed decision on how we want to move forward as people, knowing what war can do and what peace can do so we can make informed decision. The right decision is to take the direction of peace so that all these suffering we are going through can come to pass when there is peace,
I commend the parties to the peace agreement because they are working together for peace. They should continue in the same spirit of cooperation and unity am happy the group of Gen. Johnson Olony is already here, let us join hands with our president to implement the peace agreement, talk to our people if there is anything disturbing let us talk about it without necessarily going for guns, guns kill and destroy.
Given our experience we should be the best to advise our friends in the region about the dangers of war. If we can talk before talking guns to solve problems is better. Let us always give dialogue a chance, let us forgive each other and open a new chapter to move forward and get our country on track for prosperity.
Thank you very much Rt.Hon. speaker for talking to me, Victor Dodo.
Speaker: You are welcome and thank you too.