Legal Expert: Main Opposition’s Petition To Withdraw Passed Bills Is Unlawful
Reech Malual, the deputy spokesman for South Sudan lawyers association has said that, the move by main opposition, Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-in Opposition led by Riek Machar to withdraw passed bills is illegal.
“The bill can only be called back if the president of the republic within the limit of 30 days doesn’t sign it, it is brought back to parliament and again be sent back to the president, after that it becomes a law even if not signed by the president,” he said.
He added that in parliament, the code of conduct is that, there must be quorum regardless of the party the members come from and the issue of this or that part is not procedural at all in the operation of South Sudan’s parliament.
The Lawyer’s counsel comes at a time when Dr. Riek Machar, the First Vice President last week during the signing of the roadmap demanded that all bills, including the Political Parties Act, that were passed without their participation, be returned to parliament for evaluation.
“It is not the attendant but the consensus that you generate in parliament. The SPLM-IG and its allies have a mechanical majority in parliament. They would pass anything they want to pass,” said Machar, citing that the ruling SPLM party is using its majority status in parliament to pass bills without consensus.
However, the executive Director of Centre for Peace and Advocacy Ter Manyang Gatwech, in a statement, said that the fresh agreement calls for a shared responsibility, observing that the parties to the agreement should concentrate more on the roadmap.
“When you look at the agreement, it needs a collective responsibility from every stakeholder because it is important that all stakeholders’ views be included in reviewing laws and other important elements of the agreement, if things are done in the absence others , I am afraid that things may not go well in the long term,” said Gatwech.
He urged South Sudanese leaders to show to citizens that, they are now committed to what they signed and it will not only be on paper but a principle that will guide their functions in the new government without relying entirely on international community.
