MPs debate speech of President Kiir

By Awan Achiek

Members of the National Legislature Assembly on Friday debated President Salva Kiir Mayardit’s speech which he gave during the opening of the first session of the house on 3 April 2024.

President Kiir’s speech touched on several issues ranging from the economy, peace and stability, food insecurity, youth unemployment, and the upcoming general elections slated for December 2024 among other things.

During the first session of the assembly, the lawmakers formed a 23-member committee to scrutinize the speech to make it a public document and report back in 14 days.

The speech of the President has already been tabled today and Rt. Hon. Speaker Jemma Nunu Kumba has committed it to the new committee which is the National Legislature ad-hoc Committee to discuss, and tackle, and scrutinize the president’s speech,” said John Agany Deng, Chairperson of the Information Committee and assembly spokesperson while briefing the media after the parliamentary sitting in Juba.

Agany stressed the importance of the president’s speech which he said touched on security and agriculture.

“In that regard, the speech will become a policy framework which will be used by the government especially when it comes to the security sector, we need actually to be secure so that we have a government agenda running,” Agany said.

He said Kiir’s speech addressed national issues which are significant for the national growth and development.

“More importantly, the nation has been asked by the president to prepare for the national elections which is of course is the way forward to execute and implement our peace agreement,” Agany said

He said parliament will take up the tasks and make the president’s speech a workable framework for the government.

“From here as the National Legislature, we will take up these tasks and we will make it a workable framework for the government. We will ask all government institutions and sectors to do what exactly what the father of nation has voiced, we need peace in the country, we need harmony and we also need to put food on the table,” Agany said.