President Kiir Gives Assent To Three Years Term Extension

By Jok P Mayom

JUBA, 30 March 2015 [Gurtong]: South Sudan's parliament voted on March 24 to extend President Salva Kiir's term in office by three years, after elections due to be held in June were called off and negotiations to end the on-going crisis which reached a deadlock without agreement.

The move passed by more than two-thirds of the MPs, also extends the tenure of the legislature.

227 members of the 332-member National Legislative Assembly voted to amend the constitution to allow an extension of Kiir's tenure from July of 2015 to July of 2018.

Thomas Wani Kundu, the Chairperson of the Committee of Information in the National Legislative Assembly told Gurtong that “Yes the president has already assented the amendment of the following articles, Article 66, 164, 100 I (2) and 202, said Wani Kundu.

Article 202 was amended to extend the mandate and tenure of the constitutional review commission to 31 December 2018.

Opposition MPs in the Parliament criticized the decision saying that they believed the move was meant for the President to cling onto power.

The political parties’ alliance in South Sudan on Monday rejected the amendment of the constitution arguing that if a peace agreement is reached, the constitution shall be amended to incorporate the peace agreement.