The National Legislative Assembly

Eighteen civil society organizations have appealed to President Salva Kiir to appoint a female speaker for the forthcoming interim national parliament.

They say the executive hand of the transitional government so far is made up of only men: the president, first vice president, and the vice president.

Rita Lopidia is the Executive Director of Eve Organization for Women Development, one of the organizations taking part in the campaign.

“It’s important that there is a balance in the executive,” Ms Lopidia argued. “We strongly urge the President that this time round, the appointee for the speaker of the speaker for the transitional national legislative assembly should be a woman.”

The appeal has also been extended to the Chairperson of the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission, Festus Mogae.

Currently, the speaker of the National Legislative Assembly is a male – Hon Magok Rundial.

He succeeded the incumbent Vice President James Wani Igga, the first speaker of the parliament.