Land bill passes in South Sudan parliament

January 26, 2009 (JUBA) — The South Sudan parliament today passed a bill on land, natural resources and the environment by acclamation, to be enacted by the presidency the Government of Southern Sudan.

The bill was passed at 4:34 p.m. Sudan local time. On behalf of GOSS, the minister of parliamentary affairs expressed gratitude to legislators for passing the land bill to address a source of fighting that has cost thousands of lives, especially youth, during 53 years of liberation struggle.

One MP, Hon. Gabriel Matur, complained that his fellow legislators should not have amended the bill in the form that it was passed by the Council of Ministers, whom he said are above parliament.

Despite this completed business, the agenda for the August House remains crowded. The minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Dr. Martin Elias Lomuro, disclosed that bills on anti-corruption, police service, prison service, and the wildlife and fire brigade are among those waiting to be passed by the assembly before the official end of legislative session in July this year.

The Assembly will also hold hearings with the governors of Eastern Equatoria, Central Equatoria and Warrap states, questioning them over allegations of unwarranted murdering in their respective states.

Lomuro also explained that investment bills passed by the Assembly on November 24, 2008 have not yet reaches presidency for enactment into law because the chairperson submitted them to him on January 20 and he will send it to president by tomorrow.

However, Deputy Speaker Lawrence Lual Lual contended that the delay is the fault of the president, rather than the Assembly. If bills stay with president for 30 days without his assent, the Assembly would consider the bill passed, said Lual.

Earlier, during the reading of a report while few legislators were present, Hon. Gabriel Matur tricked legislators by omitting to read a page of their third report, and soon thereafter the speaker adjourning the morning sitting at 3 p.m. local time. One legislator who asked not to be named commented, of a minister wants his or her bill to be passed by legislators, he should simply present it very late, as legislators are always rushing for leisure.

Also during the morning session, the minister of finance was squeezed by the economic sector committee, which further delayed presentation of the 2009 budget for third and final reading. Also present was the minister of telecommunication and postal services to answer inquiries on who owns the telecom company Gemtel. The matter would have to be settled before the Assembly could pass this year’s budget, remarked Hon. Dr. Jimmy Wongo Miji.