South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"
By Awan Achiek
The Speaker of the Transitional National Legislative Assembly (TNLA), Jemma Nunu Kumba, has expressed frustration saying a Member of Parliament ignored her orders on business regulations, saying the act was disrespectful.
It happened in an incident which involved the speaker and a member of the parliament from opposition.
It all started from delay in tabling a report on construction of the Juba-Rumbek highway.
The MP ignored the speaker’s instruction to sit down while she was explaining to members why the report was delayed to be tabled.
The Speaker deemed his action as disrespectful and a violation of conduct of business regulations.
Whiling addressing MPs on Tuesday, Kumba said it was a sign of “disrespect” towards her personality.
“I feel that some of you have decided not to follow the conduct of business regulations, which are clearly spelled out,” Kumba said.
“When the speaker gives order, it must be obeyed. When the speaker says, take your seat down, you have to sit. But some of you say, no, I will not sit. Sit down, I will not sit. You want to create a scene in this house,” she said.
She said the people they are representing expect them to be a symbol of unity for the country.
“The people of this country are expecting us to be a symbol of unity for the country. We cannot transport or transfer the fight in our communities in the state to the National Assembly,” she said.
She advised the members of the parliament to respect speakers regardless of the party they came from.
“My colleagues from the SPLM-IO, I am here as a speaker of everybody. And I’m sitting here as your speaker.”
“And I expect everybody, if it is right Honorable Cornelio sitting here, you need to respect him. If it is right Honorable Oyet sitting here, you need to respect him,” she said.
She said would not accept any member of SPLM-IO to disrespect a leader from any other party.
“And we all respect him. I will not accept any member of SPLM-IO to disrespect a leader from any other party who is authorized by the agreement or by the constitution to head the position.”
She cautioned MPs against copying the behavior of other MPs who exchanged blows in the parliament.
“So what I’m saying here is take back your rights and give respect to those who don’t belong to our party. If you see in other parliaments people are fighting, you don’t think it is the right way to do things. That is a lack of tolerance.”