Newly independent South Sudan swore in its MPs on Saturday, two days ahead of parliament's opening session, with the speaker calling for co-operation regardless of background or political affiliation. "You are the founders of the first ever parliament of the Republic of South Sudan," James Wani Igga told the National Legislative Assembly.
"I am calling for co-operation among ourselves in this esteemed house... regardless of any background," he said, describing the presence of the different political parties as an "asset". According to a presidential decree issued on Monday, the parliament consists of the 170 elected members from before independence, 96 former MPs elected to the National Assembly in Khartoum from southern constituencies, and another 66 newly appointed members.
Out of South Sudan's 332 elected and appointed members, 279 MPs were sworn in on Saturday, including Vice President Riek Machar. President Salva Kiir was absent from the swearing in ceremony, in addition to those MPs unable to attend. Igga stressed the equality of the MPs in the newly reconstituted parliament.
"We are abolishing this, what others say, 'these are Khartoum, these are appointed, these Juba.' We are all South Sudanese in the liberation." The new cabinet is due to be formed after parliament opens on Monday, to replace the existing caretaker cabinet. South Sudan was granted extensive autonomy from the Sudanese government under a 2005 peace deal that ended the decades-long conflict between the former southern rebels and Khartoum.
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