Moses Monday, the Executive Director of the Organization for Nonviolence and Development. (Photo: Awan Moses/Eye Radio).

A civil society activist reiterated calls on the government to release funds to the National Constitutional Review Commission to enable it to expedite the drafting of a permanent constitution before the conduct of general elections.

On May 21, 2024, the Secretary General of National Constitutional Review Commission said the institution is yet to receive its funding to commence civic education and public consultations.

John Natana Abraham said the budget to the tune of 48 million South Sudanese Pounds was not approved by the Council of Ministers and is yet to be passed by the parliament.

He disclosed the issue a month after the head of Political Parties Council (PPC) said the three electoral institutions had been resourced with sufficient funding necessary for the conduct of elections in December 2024.

Commenting on the issue, Moses Monday, the Executive Director of the Organization for Nonviolence and Development, said the body should be funded to execute its mandate effectively.

“The national constitution review commission has been established and what they need now is that a budget,” said Monday.

“They should be given a necessary budget so that they can engage in their activities. And normally the constitution making takes time. It is not something that will happen within short time.”

“So, they should be facilitated so they are able to do their work on time because their work is actually an investment for this country.”

As South Sudan is expected to hold its first general elections in December 2024, the 2018 peace deal stipulates that the transition to an elected government requires that a permanent constitution be in place six months before the end of the interim period.

With the tenure of the unity government concluding in February 2025, this means the constitution-making process must be completed exactly by August 2024 – just five months away.

However, R-NCRC Chairperson Dr. Riang Yer Zuor, said the time left is not enough to make a people’s driven permanent constitution.