National Legislative Assembly in Juba, June 2013. Photo: Murray Olds/EyeRadio

A bill seeking to strengthen the independence of the national legislature has been passed to the third reading.

The Parliamentary Service Commission Bill seeks to place the national legislature under an independent Parliamentary Service Commission.

“The objective of the bill itself is to strengthen and sustain the national legislature as an efficient bicameral arm of the government of South Sudan,” Thomas Wani Kundu, Chairperson of the Specialized Committee of Information and Culture, told Eye Radio.

The bill was presented to the parliament by the chairperson of Public service, Labor and Human Resource Development Committee, Julius Ajeo, yesterday.

If passed into law, the bill will make the national legislature more efficient.

“The bill is expected to secure the autonomy of the national legislature in terms of its management and operation under the commission,” Mr Kundu added.

“We deserve to have our independent commission such that it can empower us to carry out our work as mandated by the people of South Sudan.”

A bill is read four times in the parliament before it is passed into law pending the assent of the President.