The South Sudan National Assembly hall during in session [Gurtong | File]
By Waakhe Simon Wudu
JUBA, 18 August 2012 [Gurtong] - Members of the assembly differed after MPs from Eastern Equatoria State threatened to walk out of the August House on grounds that their state is not being represented in the Commission.
President Salva Kiir appointed nine members to head the electoral commission basing his nominations on the three regions of Greater Bar El Ghazal, Upper Nile and Equatoria.
The Speaker Daniel Awet had to call off the sitting for Thursday in an effort to have more time for consultations and have exclusive information on how the nominations were done so as to have a satisfying ruling.
The Eastern Equatoria MPs described the absence of representation in the NEC as marginalization of their state which historically is said to be where the first bullet for the country’s liberation against Sudan was shot.
Sources told Gurtong that meetings with President Kiir in a bid to iron the issue yesterday did not yield fruits leading to the postponement of the sitting for next Monday.
Parliamentarians yesterday convened in the House but only to move out after the Speaker failed to appear for hours to lead the sitting.
This is the second postponement by the August House to approve the members of the NEC after it postponed another sitting on Monday.
MPs denied approving the names of the electoral body saying the profiles of the appointed members are supposed to be attached against their names before vetting takes place.