South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"
By Simon Deng
A funding shortfall has delayed the public consultation on the constitution-making process, according to John Natana Abraham, Secretary General of the National Constitution Review Commission (NCRC).
“The primary challenge we face is funding. As Commission members, our role is to facilitate this process, and we are fully prepared to do so at a national level in a professional manner,” Abraham said during the closing of a workshop on constitutionalism and federalism at Palm Africa Hotel yesterday.
“This constitution-making process is serious business because it is an opportunity for us to transform the lives of our people for the first time. It is an opportunity to ensure that our people live with dignity in an entrenched constitutional manner,” he added.
Kathrine Scherr, the senior legal expert for the Max Planck Foundation for International Peace and the Rule of Law, said that federal constitutions are essential for a country governed by a federal structure.
“The idea of introducing a federal framework into a future permanent constitution for South Sudan must be based on the common values and collective purpose that the people of this country share,” Scherr emphasized.
“The essence of the federal choice relates back to the idea of embracing and providing the legal framework under which territorial or ethnic diversity in a country can be recognized and accommodated without compromising the concept of unity,” she explained.
Riang Yier Zuor, the Chairperson of the National Constitution Review Commission, noted that the permanent constitution will address issues including the separation of powers, design options for organs of government, and intergovernmental dispute resolutions.
“The role of constitutionalism in federal systems of governance is to lay the foundation of federal constitutionalism, protect subnational units, allocate powers in a federal system, and promote intergovernmental cooperation and interterritorial solidarity,” Zuor stated.
Mary Agol John, a member of the National Constitution Review Commission, added that the permanent constitution will also address issues such as citizens’ rights, presidential term limits, and governance structures.
“We are moving forward with civic education, but we are facing challenges. As members of the Commission, we are trying to work closely with our government to find out how we can secure the resources we need. Our people are waiting for us,” John said.
The three-day workshop organized by the National Constitution Review Commission was sponsored by the Max Planck Foundation for International Peace and the Rule of Law in collaboration with the European Union.
