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| South Sudan National Legislative Assembly | |
|---|---|
| Name | National Legislative Assembly |
| House type | Unicameral |
| Established | 2005 |
| Leader1 type | Speaker |
| Members | 400 (variable) |
| Meeting place | Juba |
South Sudan National Legislative Assembly is the unicameral legislative body created under the Comprehensive Peace Agreement and later instruments to serve the people of South Sudan in the transitional and constitutional periods. It sits in Juba and has been central to post-2005 arrangements involving the Sudan People's Liberation Movement, the Government of South Sudan, and international actors such as the United Nations and the African Union. The Assembly has interacted with entities including the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, the East African Community, the United Nations Mission in South Sudan, and diverse political formations from the Second Sudanese Civil War settlement processes.
The Assembly traces roots to the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (2005), which ended the Second Sudanese Civil War and established institutions including the Government of Southern Sudan and later the independent Republic of South Sudan (2011). Transitional configurations reflected power-sharing accords among the Sudan People's Liberation Movement, anti-government groups such as the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-in-Opposition, and signatories to the Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS). The chamber’s composition and mandate were altered during periods of crisis linked to the South Sudanese Civil War (2013–2020), mediation by figures like Salva Kiir and Riek Machar, and negotiations involving the Intergovernmental Authority on Development and the Troika diplomacy of United States, United Kingdom, and Norway.
Membership originally followed allocations negotiated among parties including the Sudan People's Liberation Movement, the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-in-Opposition, the South Sudan Opposition Alliance, and former holders of regional offices under the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (2005). Seats have been distributed to reflect appointees from the Executive of South Sudan, former regional bodies such as the State Legislative Assemblies (South Sudan), and representatives tied to the Transitional Constitution of the Republic of South Sudan (2011). Membership counts changed under the Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan, which specified numbers for signatory parties, civil society groups, and former detainees connected to accords mediated by envoys from the African Union Commission and the United Nations Secretary-General.
The Assembly’s powers derive from the Transitional Constitution of the Republic of South Sudan, conferring authority to enact, amend, and repeal legislation concerning national matters and to oversee implementation by the President of South Sudan and the Council of Ministers (South Sudan). It has responsibilities for approving budgets submitted by the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning (South Sudan), ratifying international agreements such as treaties presented to the legislature, and exercising oversight through inquiries often informed by reports from the Office of the Auditor-General (South Sudan), the Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan, and specialised agencies like the South Sudan National Bureau of Statistics.
Presiding officers include a Speaker and Deputy Speakers elected from within the Assembly, working with a Clerk and secretariat staff inheriting administrative practices influenced by counterparts like the National Assembly (Sudan), the Parliament of Uganda, and the National Assembly (Ethiopia). Speakers have included politicians with backgrounds in the Sudan People's Liberation Movement and negotiators from the Revitalised Agreement talks. Leadership roles also link to caucuses representing blocs such as the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-in-Opposition and groups accommodated under the R-ARCSS.
The Assembly operates a system of standing and ad hoc committees mirroring functions in legislatures across the region, including committees on Finance, Defence and Security, Health, Education, and Local Government, often working with ministries like the Ministry of Health (South Sudan) and the Ministry of Education and Instruction (South Sudan). Committees have summoned ministers, engaged with institutions such as the South Sudan Anti-Corruption Commission, and coordinated with civil society organisations like Community Empowerment for Progress Organization and research centres including the Sudd Institute.
Initial membership derived from power-sharing provisions rather than direct elections, pending nationwide polls envisaged in the Transitional Constitution of the Republic of South Sudan. Plans for general elections have been postponed multiple times due to security and logistical challenges tied to the South Sudanese Civil War (2013–2020), displacement crises affecting populations in Unity State, Jonglei, and Upper Nile (state), and interventions by mediators such as the Intergovernmental Authority on Development. The R-ARCSS set transitional timelines for selection and rotation of members pending future national elections administered by the South Sudan National Elections Commission.
Legislative business follows procedures for clause-by-clause consideration, committee referrals, and plenary votes under rules adapted from regional parliaments such as the Parliament of Kenya and the Parliament of Sudan. Bills may originate from the executive (via the President of South Sudan and relevant ministries), from committees, or from private members within the Assembly; they require readings, committee scrutiny, and assent mechanisms involving the President of South Sudan and protocols informed by the Transitional Constitution. Proceedings have been interrupted during crises but resumed under ceasefires and monitoring by actors including the United Nations Mission in South Sudan and diplomatic offices like the Embassy of the United States in Juba.
Category:Politics of South Sudan Category:Legislatures