South Sudan legislators have been sworn in almost two months after being appointed to the country’s Reconstituted Transitional National Legislative Assembly and Council of States.
President Salva Kiir Mayardit named 550 lawmakers to the R-TNLA in May, and 100 members to the Council of States in July.
However, Kiir withdrew the appointment of all members of the Other Political Parties (OPP) Peter Mayen Majongdit over the weekend, after a dispute within the outcry caused by Peter Mayen’s nomination of family members.
Only 504 members of parliament were sworn in, representing the SPLM faction led by Kiir, the SPLM-IO group led by Machar, and the SSOA faction led by Josephine Lagu, all of whom are FDs. It is unknown when Kiir would select members of parliament from the Peter Mayen Majongdit alliance.
The law makers took the following oath during the swearing-in ceremony conducted by South Sudan’s Chief Justice Chan Reec Madut: “I…………………, as a Member of the National Legislative Assembly/Council of States, do hereby swear by Almighty God/solemnly affirm/ that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the Republic of South Sudan and its people; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the Republic of South Sudan and its people; that
I pledge to uphold and obey the Constitution and the law; and to faithfully and conscientiously discharge my duties and responsibilities as a member of the National Legislative Assembly/Council of States, and to serve the people of the Republic of South Sudan to the best of my ability, so help me God.”
