Kiir names first nominees to the reconstituted Parliament

President Salva Kiir on Monday issued a Republican Decree reconstituting the Transitional National Legislative Assembly (TNLA), giving names of the nominees to the new house.

The state-run South Sudan Broadcasting Cooperation (SSBC) televised the reading of the names of persons nominated for the reconstituted legislature after the dismissal of the previous one and the council of states.

The reconstitution of the TNLA is one of the steps coming as a response to the implementation of the peace agreement that was signed in 2018.

The nominees are drawn from the leading SPLM party, the SPLM-IO, the South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA), the Other Opposition Parties (OPP), and the former detainees (FDs).

In April, the President’s spokesperson Ateny Wek Ateny said that the number of the Revitalised Transitional Government of National Unity [RTGoNU] agreed on was lawmakers were 550 but lamented that it was too high and the constituents could end up being over represented.

Among the people appointed were Wani Iga as the Member of Parliament for Central Equatoria State and also the second vice president. The presidential advisor on Security Tut Gatluak was also appointed among the R-TNLA representing SPLM party.

All eyes will now be on the parties as hopes are high that they will be able to follow the requirements of the deal regarding appointments to the latter.