NCRC Prepares for Data Collection on Constitution-Making Process
By Kidega Livingstone
Members of the National Constitutional Review Commission (NCRC) have begun a three-day orientation training on public consultation as part of the constitution-making process.
The training is intended to prepare commissioners to conduct public sensitization and consultation in four selected states: Eastern Equatoria, Western Equatoria, Lakes, and Northern Bahr el Ghazal. It is not yet clear when the teams will be deployed to these states.
Patrick Oyet Charles, Head of Civic Education at the NCRC, said the orientation is a “final briefing” for members before they gather data to be used in drafting the permanent constitution of the Republic of South Sudan. “The data is absolutely very important … so the constitution will be people-driven,” he said.
Jackline Nasiwa, Executive Director of the Centre for Inclusive Governance, Peace, and Justice, said the training equips commissioners with the skills needed for public consultation and data collection. “The commissioners are now preparing to go to grassroots communities to create awareness and collect the data,” she commented.
A representative of UN Women described the orientation as an opportunity for commission members to grasp the realities on the ground and to conduct effective consultations so that the final constitution truly reflects people’s needs. “Public participation in the consultation of the constitutional-making process is vital. This is also to find out the final content of the permanent constitution,” she said.
