South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"

RJMEC Chairperson Maj. Gen. Charles Tai Gituai. (File photo)
By Benjamin Takpiny
The Interim Chairperson of the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (RJMEC) Maj Gen (Rtd), Charles Tai Gituai has pledged his full support to the Reconstituted National Constitutional Review Commission (R-NCRC).
“As RJMEC, the Commission can count on our full support. I appeal to the Commission to live up to its expectations and discharge its aforementioned mandate as per the Revitalized Peace Agreement, and the Permanent Constitution Making Process Act 2022. It is critical to note that going by the roadmap timelines, we are far behind schedule and therefore time is of the essence,” Gituai said on Monday during the Induction Workshop of the R-NCRC in Juba.
He said that the R-NCRC is expected to get up and running without any further delays.
“Consequently, it is imperative that the Commission use this induction workshop, to swiftly consider and adopt practical rules of procedure, endorse the draft budget, and action plan, as well as agree on a practical strategy to immediately commence civic education and robust public consultation campaigns, to promote public debate and awareness on critical constitutional issues,” Gituai said.
Gituai said that the importance of the permanent constitution under the Revitalized Peace Agreement and the critical role of the reconstituted NCRC is to ensure that the permanent constitution is made and reflects the will and aspiration of the people of South Sudan.
He said that the success or failure of this over 5 years Transitional Period will highly depend on the promulgation of a popular constitutional arrangement that fulfils the aspiration of the people of South Sudan in its diversity.
“The permanent constitution is expected to plant the seeds and become the cornerstone of constitutionalism and good governance in this country after the elections”.
“One of the core tasks of the RTGoNU is to ensure that the Permanent Constitution-making process is successfully carried out and completed before the end of the Transitional Period (see Art. 1.2.5). the process is pivotal in that the provisions of the Permanent Constitution are expected to guide the conduct of elections at the end of the Transitional Period (Art. 1.20.5). Accordingly, under Article 1.20.6 of the R-ARCSS”.
Gituai added that the National Elections Act 2023 is expected to be amended to conform to the provisions of the Permanent Constitution upon its promulgation.
“The RTGoNU and Parties to the Agreement, therefore, should not renege on this solemn commitment, and deny the people of South Sudan this golden opportunity,” he said.