Juba, South Sudan
June 1, 2022 — The Revitalized Transitional National Legislative Assembly (R-TNLA) has passed a bill that some political parties think is meant to dismantle minority parties ahead of the expected elections next year.
The new act covers seven provisions which include establishment of political parties, their registration as well as financial allocation to them for their development and growth, among others.
The Speaker of the N-TNLA Jemma Nunu Kumba read out content of the act before endorsement and thanks the parliament for passing it.
“We passed it in totality, thank you very much,[honorable members of parliament.” Nunu thanked members of parliament.
The bill was passed despite reservations by some opposition party members on the modalities to provide financing to the political parties and the conditions for a party to be legally registered.
The act stipulates that for a political party to be registered, it must have at least five hundred members from across the ten states.
Responding to the bill, Hon. Peter Lomude Francis, a member of South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA) said if the intention of the bill is to regulate the political parties in the country, then there shouldn’t be much focus on the numbers.
“So, if the purpose of this bill is to ensure that political parties are to be regulated, then the question of putting numbers in order to ban political parties or small parities from registering, it should be out, ” said Peter Lomude Francis who hails from the South Sudan Opposition Alliance ticket.
The parliament also agree to allocate some budget to the political parties but based on the outcome of a general election.
Lomude pointed out that regulation 36 contradict regulation 37 that says the fund will be given to parties based on the outcome of the election when regulation 36 was meant to distribute fund so that the parties compete in the elections.
”Now, there is a contradiction here that I would like to say, if you look at regulation 36 on how this money is to be distributed,the purpose of the fund is to ensure that political parties are able to compete equally.”he noted with concerns.
“this is contradicting regulation 37th which says that the purpose of the fund is also to support parties in the process of elections. So, giving support to parties should not be tied with the outcome of the election.” lOMUDE ADDED.
