Parliament to present R-ARCSS for approval by members of the National Legislature today

January 28, 2020 Newsbeat

South Sudan’s members of Parliament singing the National Anthem before parliamentary sitting (Photo: File)

January 29, 2020 (SSNN)—South Sudan’s Parliament is expected to present the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution in South Sudan (R-ARCSS) for formal approval by the country’s members of the National Legislature during its session today, Wednesday, 29th.

According to a lawmaker interviewed by SSNN this morning, the agreement, if fully approved by members of the National Legislature, will then be incorporated into the Constitution of South Sudan as stipulated in the agreement and become an official legal framework that will guide the country during the Transitional Period.

“The agreement, [referring to the R-ARCSS] will be tabled for discussion and final approval by members of Parliament during today’s parliamentary sitting,” the source said.

The Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS), signed by the Parties in September 2018, serves as a guiding roadmap for peace and reconciliation.

The agreement outlined that, the R-ARCSS shall be incorporated into the Transitional Constitution 2011 amended in 2015 before the formation of the Revitalized Transitional Government of National Unity

Since last year, the incorporation of the agreement into the constitution has been facing opposition from the Kiir administration.

In October, the Minister of Information and Broadcasting Michael Makuei stated that an attempt to incorporate the Revitalized Peace Agreement into the Transitional Constitution of South Sudan is a mere joke.

“Talking about the constitution at this time is just a joke, because we can take it today, present it to the parliament, the parliament will pass it, it is brought to the President, the President signs it into law and then it is waiting for that day. So, it is not a necessity.”