Kiir’s Policy Address Under Scrutiny
On 16 July, President Salva Kiir laid out an ambitious roadmap touching the economy, food security, peace dividends and the December 2024 elections, framing it as “a collective contract with our citizens,” according to the official transcript.
Attendance Row Stalls Legislative Review
When the Select Committee tabled its report on Wednesday, only four of 35 ministers occupied the government benches, prompting SPLM legislator Elizabeth Adut to request adjournment, arguing the house could not interrogate policy without those mandated to implement it.
Speaker’s Call for Accountability
Speaker Jemma Nunu Kumba concurred, directing the parliamentary affairs minister to summon colleagues, stressing that Kiir’s text synthesises submissions from every portfolio and that questions “must meet the right ears.”
Implications for December 2024 Elections
Observers say the incident exposes practical hurdles within South Sudan’s power-sharing government but also underscores growing parliamentary assertiveness, a factor analysts believe could influence electoral preparations and budget oversight in the months ahead.
Government spokespersons insisted the postponement was procedural and that ministers would attend the rescheduled sitting, signalling commitment to what they termed “transparent dialogue between branches of state.”