Salva Kiir, President, South Sudan.

14 opposition parties today appealed to President Salva Kiir not to sign into law the National Security Service Bill.

They urged him to return the bill to the National Legislative Assembly for amendments.

The opposition parties say the provisions of the bill give the powers of the police to the National Security.

They argued that the procedures followed by the assembly for passing the bill were not consistent with the parliamentary conduct of business.

“We appeal to the President of the Republic not to accent to the act, and return it to the National Legislative Assembly for reconsideration for the following reasons,” the secretary-general of the Political Parties Leadership Forum, David William, read out the press release on behalf of the parties;

“One, some provisions of the act contravene the Constitution especially, the bill of rights, two, such sensitive act requires reasonable degree of consensus among our people.

“This is more so under the current crisis facing the country.”

Last week the Leader of Minority in the National Legislative Assembly, Hon Onyoti Adigo and several other MPs walked out of the session when the National Security Service Bill was passed in its final reading.

The Chairman of the SPLM-DC, Dr. Lam Akol Ajawin, says they are not against the security bill, but it should follow the transitional constitution of South Sudan.

“What we are saying is that this bill has exceeded the powers of the security, it went to the powers of the police,” said Dr Akol.

“It has not given the security the powers that have been defined in the Constitution, which says, to collect information, analyzed it and advise the authority concerned.”