Beny Gideon, Undersecretary in the Minister of East African Affairs - COURTESY

The South Sudan Human Rights Commission has welcomed the signing into law of four bills by President Kiir, especially the constitution making act 2022. 

Beny Gideon says this is a timely beginning of people–centered constitutional development.

On Wednesday, December 21, 2022, President Kiir assented to the bills, after they were passed by the national parliament.

The assented bills are the Constitution Making Process Act 2022, the Transitional Constitution of the Republic of South Sudan 2011 (Amendment) No.11 Act, 2022, the National Police Service, (Amendment) Act 2022, and the National Wildlife Service, (Amendment) Act 2022.

Beny Gideon, the commissioner of the South Human Rights Commission says the signing will mark the first-ever participatory decision-making in constitutional design and development.

He says that the South Sudanese have been given an opportunity to prepare themselves to participate in the constitution-making process.

Speaking to Eye Radio this morning, Gideon says South Sudanese must express their views and contribution toward a permanent constitution making.

“The assent of this bill will mark the first-ever participatory decision making as the people of South Sudan in the constitutional design and development,” said Beny Gideon.

“When the people are involved in the design on their governance arrangement, then that is the democratic party, that’s the requirement of the government to involve the people in the implementation of the social contract and therefore,

“The people of South Sudan have been giving the greatest opportunity that they need to prepare themselves now in their different work of life and happily begun to express their views, contribution, and their inputs towards the permanent constitution,

“This permanent constitution will guide the end of the transitional constitution period because it will be the legal framework that shall be used to conduct elections.”

On Wednesday, December 21, 2022, the Speaker of parliament Jemma Nunu Kumba also submitted before the President five new Bills on security, Anti- Corruption, Referendum, Public Finance, and Accountability respectively.

The Parliament also rectified five Conventions and International Treaties on economic and political acts.

The Protocol to the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights on the rights of women in Africa, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural rights as well as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.