Female MPswho raised concerns over the firing of Regina Nyakuoth, an MP representing Fangak County in the National Parliament/ Photo by Suzie Williams/ Date: 10.03.2022

Female legislators at the national parliament have expressed disappointment over the removal of a fellow MP in a presidential decree this week.

The women displayed their anger during the ongoing two-day orientation workshop intended to provide training for women parliamentarians on the constitution-making process.

On Tuesday, President Salva Kiir, in a decree revoked the appointment of Regina Nyakuoth, an MP representing Fangak County in the National Parliament.

The group of female MPs attending the workshop organized by South Sudan Women Empowerment Network, felt their colleague’s removal on the International women’s day amounts to violation of the 35 percent affirmative action.

Nyanchiew John Gile, a representative of Ulang County who spoke on behalf of her colleagues criticized the decision.
“That’s a very painful information. We as women really felt that was not right and this tells you that there is no equality,” she said.

No reason has been provided for her removal. Gile said removing a legislator without a clear reason is disturbing.

“If there is an issue behind that, it should be solved in a different way. We felt as women that they violated our rights and we should advocate on that,” she added, insisting that ” we need to know what had happened, what did she do for her to be revoked.

The female MPs have vowed to advocate for sacked Nyakuoth’s reinstatement; “It should be a process, we are not saying that why was she removed.”