The parliament has passed NGO bills that give powers to the relief and rehabilitation commission to “audit non-governmental organizations when necessary”.

Last year, members of parliament passed the bills as one but the president sent it back, citing observations that include the power and function of the Relief and Rehabilitation Commission.

The Deputy Speaker of the national assembly, Mark Nyipuoch, says they have incorporated the observations.

In addition to auditing, the new bills also empower the Relief and Rehabilitation Commission to “monitor and evaluate all the activities of the non-governmental organizations”.

But the leader of the minority, Onyoti Adigo says the bill has been passed at a wrong time.

He says such bills should have been discussed by the forthcoming transitional parliament.

“We are in the process of implementing the agreement at the present moment. The NGOs law is one of the laws which will be looked into during the transitional period,” Hon Onyoti said after the passing of the bill.

“So being in hurry to pass it, then you have a hidden agenda. .. that means you have no interest in the implementation of the peace agreement,” he said.

Hon Onyoti said the passage of the bill hasn’t come at a perfect time “because this time now is the time for the implementation of the agreement in which we should have reconstituted the parliament.”