By Peter Gai Manyuon
August 14, 2013 (SSNA) — The National Parliament of South Sudan under the leadership of right Honorable Speaker Comrade James Wani Igga did not represent people voices since the inception of the Government of Southern Sudan (GOSS) in 2005 throughout the last eight years up to the time South Sudan was declared as the separate state in 2011 on the 9th of July, however most of the citizens were blaming parliamentarians of not acting on relevant issues that determine the growth of the Country. It was so good and unbelievable that the members of parliament have rejected the person that was appointed as the National Minister for Justice by the President due to the fact that he did not meet the criteria during the vetting process in the National Assembly during their work when they were scrutinizing the academic qualifications from Honorable Ministers that were appointed and their deputies respectively, and it has shown to the world that, South Sudanese are transforming gradually and they are now trying to follow international Standard of making policies and regulations in the Assembly.
Based on the justifications and recommendations given by the Law makers in the National Assembly on Tuesday this week has shown to the citizens of South Sudan that Members of Parliament have started realizing the usefulness of their duty and likewise viewing the public’s grievances in a positive way by rejecting someone whose educational background was not clear up to the expectations to the people wills.
Logically, it has also reflected the vision and the mission of the Republic of South Sudan by organizing a democratic voting on Tuesday 13th of August 2013 In the National Assembly that was shared by the honorable Speaker and out of many from the National Assembly only 97 members of Parliament convene about Telar Ring Deng Qualifications and one hundred and fifty (150) MPs voted against him that justified that, rule of law is manifested in the parliament even though not to the expectations of the majority of South Sudanese nationals.
However it is the right time now for the President of the Republic of South Sudan General Kiir Mayardit to make another appointment based on the merit and thereafter, government should continue with normal deputies since this is the time of making the constitution that will reflect people voices by adding what is useful and removing what is dictating the entire citizen of South Sudan in their daily lives in this great Nation but I think it was legitimate and absolutely right to reject someone due to the fact that the Ministry of Justice is the most sensitive Ministry that need more qualified lawyer that can make the constitution based on merit not individual interests like what happen some years back that has make the country having lots of questions on the removal of the elected governors from their positions and it was the citizen who elected them to those positions.
The question which is now on different people minds is that, who to be appoint as the Minister of Justice since Telar has been rejected? Other people are asking whether appointment will be from Lake State since the position seems to be for lake state base on simple evaluation of the Cabinets that took offices last week. And the last question from people is whether the former Minister Mayom Akech can be given the position since he is Lawyer that has no doubt like Telar. And some people assumed that, since Telar has been rejected by the MPs, John Luk might come back to the position and start complicating issues like what he did when drafting the constitution of the South Sudan 2011 which is giving people of South Sudan many questions regarding the Presidential powers that have been now practiced by issuing Republican Decrees that are so unique.
Keys recommendations:
President of South Sudan General Kiir Mayardit should appoint a qualified lawyer with Law Degree from Recognized Institution with a post graduate Diploma that show that he/she is a practicing Lawyer and can use his/her credibility and expertise to do the needful to the entire citizen of South Sudan then gambling that might not be legitimate.
National Parliament of South Sudan should continue with this momentum of excellent of putting the right person in to the right place, further more MPs should also continue screening and evaluating President appointees to avoid incompetence leaders that might take this great nation in to wrong direction.
Conclusively; Parliament makes laws and holds the Government to account for its policies, actions, and spending. The functions of Parliament include: forming a Government (Executive) from among its members, making new laws and updating old laws, representing the people, examining and approving Government taxes and spending and many more…
The author is the Independent Journalist and Columnist who writes for Juba Monitor Newspaper, you can contact him through; [email protected]