The Chairperson of the standing specialized committee for information has stated the priority of the parliament is to pass the supplementary budget which is very important for the activities of general elections.
Honorable John Agany who is also the spokesperson of the Transitional National Legislative Assembly says a supplementary budget is needed by the government for the activities of the elections.
“First on our agenda is the supplementary budget, because the supplementary budget is needed by the government for the installation of institutions of the election including the electoral commission, and they were not budgeted for so defiantly, the priority now is to pass the supplementary budget and the remaining bills that we have.”
Agany narrates that the election is compulsory as it’s mandated by the peace agreement and there is no way to bypass the elections.
“We are educated to believe that elections are compulsory because it’s something that was called by the peace agreement, you also know that the road map was a call by the peace agreement. So there is nowhere that we can do it.”
He adds that the life spent by the government will be blown out if they don’t quicken the process of making elections.
The spokesperson says the National parliament has passed the necessary laws that are needed for elections, and accepts the regulatory processes which are to be done regarding institutions.
The laws that are required for elections include the Political Parties Act and the Election Act among others.
“As far as the legislation is concerned elections, we have passed the necessary laws that are needed for elections. So in this regard, we are fully aware that there’s no law regarding the election that we have not passed.’
“You know that we have passed the Political Parties Act, the Election Act has already been passed, what remains are the regulatory processes which are to be done regarding institutions.”
It’s not enough to have a law to have an Act, but we should also have internal regulations, the electoral commission must have guidelines for parties to follow, “ said John Agany.”
He adds people must go for elections this time whether they are quick enough or not, they must go for elections.
The Chairperson of the standing specialized committee for information did not mention when the parliament will start their first season of sitting.
Since the members of the National Parliament went for recess last year 2023, they are yet to resume the sittings.
The Chairperson of the standing specialized committee for information spoke to the media on Wednesday at his office in Juba.