Juba’s Leaders Fail to Form Parliament

Parties to South Sudan’s revitalized peace deal missed a regional deadline to dissolve and reconstitute parliament. A July 14 communiqué by East African bloc IGAD (Inter-Governmental Authority on Development), which mediated South Sudan’s peace agreement, called on President Salva Kiir to dissolve the current National Legislative Assembly by July 26. A partial unity government was formed five months ago, but parliament has yet to be reconstituted and Kiir appointed state governors just a few weeks ago. There is no good reason for the delay, according to Boboya James, a policy analyst and researcher with the Institute of Social Policy and Research in Juba. “Most parties were waiting for the appointment of the state governors, and obviously you know discussions about allocation of positions at the state levels, so that parties are clear who are some of the candidates now that will be eligible to join the transitional national legislative assembly,” Lagu told VOA.

SOURCE: VOA