The reconstituted members of parliament in Lakes State have been sworn into office on Monday in Rumbek. Eighty-nine MPs representing parties’ signatories to the revitalized agreement have taken up their tasks except for other political parties (OPP) members who have not yet been appointed.
According to the agreement, OPP has eight representatives in state parliament in Lakes, including the speaker.
This morning, Lakes State Governor Rin Tueny Mabor opened the ceremony at the state capital Rumbek calling the MPs to allow free discussion in the parliament.
He urges the lawmakers to pass bylaws signed by community chiefs, commissioners, youth, and women that punish cattle raiders, revenge killers and ban processing and drinking alcohol in the state.
“I am asking the state legislative assembly to deliberate the 86 bylaws that were signed to end the endemic conflict in the communities and with neighbors and enact them into law,”” Gen. Rin said.
Revenge attacks have terrorized Lakes state, cattle raiding and road ambushes for more than a decade.
Citizens in Awerial ask the members of parliament to prioritize services delivery, including improving roads network, building hospitals, and education.
They say lack of essential services has increased their suffering, and children remain at homes without schools.
Others narrated a flawed healthcare system that caused some mothers to lose their lives during childbirth and called the MPs to address such challenges.
One of the MPs representative Hon. Taban Abel Aguek representing Awerial County told Mingkaman FM that he would push for roads to link his communities in Abuyung, Magok, Gut-thom, and Panuel areas.
Aguek revealed that the government’s top priority is to improve health services across the state.
“Indeed, our people are facing many things. The road to Abuyung, Magok, Jarweng, and Gut-thom has been a problem besides health services and schools. We are going to look into this issue, and it will be addressed this time,” he said.
In November last year, South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir Mayardit reconstituted Lake’s state transitional legislative assembly.