The Reconstituted Transitional National Legislative Assembly's speaker has presented four legislative measures to President Salva Kiir for approval and formal enactment.
Submitted by Hon. Jemma Nunu Kumba on Friday, the bills comprise the National Security Amendment Act 2024 (NSS Bill) and the Road Finance Agreement with Ethiopia Bill.
The others are the ratification of the Treaty on Trade with China and the Agreement on the Nile Basin Cooperative Framework.
After being approved by parliament recently, the NSS Bill has sparked a heated public discussion due to the fact that the parliament has maintained the authority to make arrests as outlined in Articles 54 and 55 of the NSS Act, 2014. This means NSS can arrest and hold anyone, with or without a warrant.
“While the Parliament has already passed the bills, the President is expected to meet with the Minister of Justice and his legal team to further study the bills before signing them into law,” writes Lily Adhieu, president's press secretary.
Human rights activists, UN, and Human Rights Watch, have expressed their concerns regarding the possible consequences of the measure.
They argued that the bill, as it is, has the potential to weaken civil liberties and have urged President Kiir to refrain from enacting it.
The measure has elicited serious alarm from Western embassies, including those representing Canada, the European Union, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
They claimed that the bill would represent a substantial departure from the expansion of political and civic opportunities, which are necessary for authentic and nonviolent elections to occur.
The international community is currently observing President Kiir's careful consideration of these important legislative measures, with special attention on the contentious NSS Bill.