Warrap parliament stages backbench rebellion against hunger accounts
* Article
* Comments (7)
email Email
print Print
pdfSave
separation
increase
decrease
separation
separation
*
*
*
*
August 22, 2011 (JUBA) - As the government of South Sudan’s Warrap
state continues to deny the prevalence of hunger, food shortages and
malnutrition in some areas, the state parliament has warned that the
executive must accept the truth and assist the affected population.
JPEG - 50 kb
Nyandeng Malek, governor of Warrap State (Gurtong.net)
Earlier this month 358 people, most of them are believed to be
returnees from North Sudan, are reported to have died of hunger.
Warrap state authorities deny the deaths were due to hunger and have
attributed the cause to an outbreak of disease.
However, members of the state assembly say the cause of death in the
area has nothing to do with disease but a manifestation of prevalence
of real hunger which the state should address without prejudice.
Amet Amet Kuol, the chairperson for Peace and Reconciliation committee
said on Monday they are not in the parliament for the sake of
honorable titles but for real business and that they do not joke
around with the plight of the electorates.
Kuol is the chair of the parliamentary committee tasked by the house
to investigate the cause of the deaths in the area and report the
findings by Wednesday.
“If we allow them to die who will elect us or other people into these
offices”, Amet asked in an interview with Sudan Tribune.
“The situation on the ground is real. We do not need to deny it.
Before you hear any report about hunger, you see people dying in your
presence”, he said.
The lawmaker cited a recent visit of members of the executive to a
nearby camp where they were shown graves of people reported to have
died of hunger between period covering May and the beginning of
August.
“The state government formed a committee and sent members of the
cabinet to the camp where a lot of people, especially those who
returned from the north are reported to have died of hunger in the
recent months. They saw it themselves. In fact they were even informed
while in the area of a person dying at their presence,” he said.
Deng Mayom, another member of parliament in the area said the house is
taking the issue seriously.
“We are serious about this issue. People should not be allowed to die
of hunger. Something must be done”, said Mayom, explaining that they
did not go to the parliament just to sit and watch.
“We did not come for appeasement. We are the representatives of the
people elected to come and deliver basic services to them. We had the
mission. The executive and other branch of government should not see
us as different set up of government. The parliament is one branch of
government though it has different function. We should be working
together in order to address challenges which requires attention from
the government”, said the lawmaker
Warrap State Assembly has a history of impeaching members of the
executive. In beginning of this year, the house impeached the state
minister of finance over allegations of financial scandal involving
the 2010 budget.
“The MPs across the party lines demonstrated what is technically known
as ’the back-bench rebellion’. They all asked the government to go to
the drawing board and come with a practical package designed to
promptly address blues currently strangling the area. The issue of
hunger in the area remains priority one of the house”, explained
Mayom.
He said the move instantly won public praise since the state assembly
was, for a long time, regarded as a mere rubber stamp endorsing
anything that the state government proposes.
"The parliament is living up to the people’s expectations," said a
Maluk Awak, a native of Warrap State and who resides in Jebel Kunjur,
Juba.
“The Constitution of Warrap State empowers the members of house to ask
any question to a minister concerning public affairs which are within
his or her jurisdiction. The MPs may also debate the performance of
the ministry during the annual budget session, as well as deliberate
upon and authorise any short or long-term plan which is intended to be
implemented in the country and enact a law to regulate implementation
of the plan. The Assembly is also empowered to deliberate upon and
ratify all contracts”, he explained.
(ST)
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "JFD
info" group.
To post to this group, send email to [email protected].
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to
[email protected].
For more options, visit this group at
http://groups.google.com/group/jfdinfo?hl=en.
