By Hon. Juol Nhomngek Daniel, MP TNLA,
Cueibet County, Lakes State, the SPLM-IO
Dear General Public and South Sudanese citizens in particular, it is my honor and privilege to take this opportunity to make these public updates on behalf of all the ordinary members of the National Legislative Assembly as part of our representative work. I have come out on behalf of the ordinary members of the National Parliament to update and further explain to you more about the information of the pending motion that you might have heard about and read on newspapers both online and in hardcopies. Let me confirm by making it clear that the information is true.
There is motion in our custody though not tabled before the House due to political calculation. We were about to move it during the sitting of today but we decided in the last minute because of some issues connected to it that we need to be discuss among ourselves for its success. The motion is about public interest as the Speaker has destroyed the Parliamentary integrity plus other big issues concerning the welfare of the citizens and the members of the Parliament.
We believe that the survival of this country depends on the success of the motion in question. We are determined to push on with it and for it to success it must be endorsed by 2/3 the general membership of the TNLA. Our motion is non-partisan as it represents the views and interests of all the members of Parliament. We have decided to propose the motion since it is the last option to save the image and integrity of the Parliament. Moreover, we are saving the Revitalized Agreement as we are in the Parliament to support its implementation in accordance with Article 1.14.8 of the Revitalized Agreement. Our leaders appointed to represent them in the Parliament (TNLA) to support them in the expeditious implementation of the Revitalized Agreement.
We are therefore the eyes of our Parties in the Parliament and by that we have the Constitutional duty to fight against mismanagement in the Parliament and beyond. Our mandate under Articles 1.14.6., 1.14.7., 1.14.8. 1.14.9 and 1.14.10 and Articles 51 (a) and 52 read together with schedule A, Article 53 (1) (c) and (2), Article 54 (1) (a), Article 57 (a), (e) and (k) and Article 73 (1) and (2) of the Transitional Constitution of the Republic of South Sudan, 2011 as amended is too wide as we are the wheels of the nation.
We have the means to effect our desire to achieve a certain outcome as we can move a motion under Regulations 80 and 84 of the Transitional National Legislative Assembly (TNLA) Conduct of Business Regulations, 2011 as amended, 2021 to protect the public interest. We have the mandate to protect and to oversee the implementation of the Revitalized Agreement that can lead to the promotion of stable security, everlasting peace, improvement in the welfare of the citizens and in the end united citizenry in our Country.
It is our mandate to force leaders that are failing the public institutions or who are mismanaging the institutions beginning from within Parliament. It is important to make it clear that some of us who know or who are conscious of our Parliamentary duties cannot standby or blame wrong people for the failures of certain people. We cannot therefore fold under hands and watch helplessly or begin to blame the President or the Executive or citizens yet we are not also doing well in our house. We have to begin in our own house.
Our Parliament is rotten to the core as it is reduced to partying institution and also where three quarters of money is only requested from the Ministry of Finance to fund individual priorities that do not reflect the Parliamentary works. Moreover, the functions of the Parliament have been reduced into two only:
(1) passing of laws whose implementation is not being overseen by the same house that passed them; and
(2) where individual leaders watch out for trips in order to use it as a conduit for siphoning the national resources into private accounts.
The National Parliament lacks moral authority and integrity to oversee other institutions as we are not doing well currently. It will be hypocrisy to see the logs in the eyes of other institutions while we have our own logs that are ready to gouge out our own eyes. Thus, our motion is not just for show or threats against leaders of the Parliament or cheating the public with false utterances so that our interest as taken care of in disguise.
Coming up with this motion is a bold move to save the Parliament as the leadership which is currently running it is not performing to our expectations. It is not therefore about our privileges such as salaries, outfits allowances, money for medication and other members’ interests. It is more that which in summary is about welfare of the citizens which include the welfare of the members of the Parliament. It is unfortunate to see the Speaker and her team dancing in India after spending millions of South Sudanese Pounds on trips and per diem while citizens are being reported to be starving in Tonj North in Warrap State and Akobo in Jonglei State. The citizens in Cueibet County are without essential drugs and blood bank where several women have died while giving birth due to bad roads and anemia.
All Citizens in different counties across South Sudan are facing the same problems that can be addressed if the Parliament become serious on issues of the mismanagement of public resources and welfare of the citizens. The National Parliament is not able to stand up and question the Executive concerning their plans to save this country and the people. We have therefore to make it clear that we are genuinely working to uphold the trust bestowed on us by our leaders. This is the basis of our move to make sure that the Parliament is reformed by making sure that the Speaker and other leaders are removed or reshuffled. We cannot spend the next two years in the game of hide and seek where we are only reduced to begging for our privileges from the leadership of the Parliament that considers Hon. Members like staff or employees of the Parliament.
In summary, we would like to tell the public that the motion is there and we shall raise it any time. We are looking for an appropriate time to raise it so that the politics should not kill it at early stage. We did not raise it today because we did not finish preparation. It was just leak to the media by certain people and we have to strategize again.
For information please contact me on 0922772165