Kiir reconstitutes Western Equatoria’s parliament and picks a speaker and deputy speaker.

South Sudan President Salva Kiir Mayardit signed a Republican Decree reconstituting the transitional state legislative assembly of Western Equatoria state, a critical step in the renewed peace agreement’s execution.

Kiir named Wakila Abdo of the SPLM-IG as the speaker of Western Equatoria state parliament, according to the presidential appointment readout on the state-owned South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation (SSBC).

In the same proclamation, South Sudan’s president selected Simon Sebit Peter of the SPLM-IO as deputy speaker of the Western Equatoria state legislature.

Kiir also appointed 100 more lawmakers representing other political parties.

The rebuilding of the country’s Western Equatoria state parliament is an important milestone in the execution of the renewed peace accord, since Western Equatoria is the first state to have a reconstituted parliament.