The National Legislative
Assembly passed the long-awaited National Security Service Act 2014 Amendment
Bill, 2024, maintaining the controversial articles 54 and 55, which provide for
arrest without warrant.
The House preserved the two
articles, despite the President's decision to remove the two provisions from
the laws that allow for arrests without a warrant.
The chair of the Committee on
National Security and Public Order, Hon. Kom Kom Geng, introduced the measure
during its third reading.
“The amendment by the NCAC as
a legal body constituted by the Revitalized Peace Agreement prevails and should
be maintained. Therefore, the Committee observed that Section 54 of the
National Security Act, 2024, is amended and improved in Section 57 of the
Amendment Bill, 2024,” said Kom.
"In addition, the joint
committee also noted that Section 55 of the bill was not proposed for amendment
by NCAC."
Following a contentious
two-hour discussion, the bill was approved by the house in a vote in which the
majority of members favored continuing warrantless arrests.
“This sitting of today is
very historic in that, for the first time, the Parliament has exercised
democracy in voting. Since the members did not agree on the amendment, voting
took place in the House. 391 members of the House were present; 274 voted in favor
of the Security Bill Amendment 2024 and 114 against it, plus three
abstentions,” said Oliver Mori, Parliament spokesperson.
Sections 54, 55, and 57 of
the National Security Service Act 2014 Amendment Bill 2024 were advocated to be
removed by members of the SPLM-IO and SSOA; however, the majority of SPLM-IG
members were in favor of the articles' continued existence.
"So, the whole National
Security Service Bill is passed in totality with all the sections and articles
as presented, including 54 and 55,” Oliver added.
After this
parliamentary approval, the president is now likely to sign the bill into law
within 30 days.
The bill will
automatically become law if the President does not sign it within 30 days.