The committee shall be chaired by the speaker assisted by the deputy speaker and the chief whip, every member of SSLA shall be a member of the committee.
The referendum committee shall have two sub-committees namely; referendum coordination sub-committee and state/Abyei sub committees.
The referendum coordination committee shall address and coordinate issues that affect the whole of south Sudan while the state/Abyei sub-committees in each state of south Sudan and Abyei area shall address and coordinate referendum issues which affect their respective states.
SSLA is mandated by the south Sudan Interim Constitution, article 72 to establish a parliamentary committee on the south Sudan 2011 referendum.
SSLA has been cited as a body that might declare unilateral independence of south Sudan if the referendum is delayed or faced with difficulties.
The national parliament in Khartoum declared self-independence in 1956 from the British rule.