South Sudan resolves to distribute constituency funding equally Article Comments (2) Email PrintSave --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Philip Thon Aleu June 14, 2011 (JUBA) – The Southern Sudan Legislative Assembly (SSLA) unanimously voted on Tuesday to share the $44.9 million (102 million Sudanese Pounds - SDG) Constituencies Development Fund (CDF) to all 170 members of parliament ending long debates on which members qualified for the funds. The SSLA’s Constituencies Fund Committee (CFC), chaired by James Reat Gony (SPLM, Upper Nile state), presented a report recommending that every MP entitled to get funding for their constituency projects funding from CDF. MPs to South Sudan’s parliament are elected through three lists in an attempt to ensure that MP represent region in a balanced way. The lists are geographical (with a constituency), political parties and women - to increase the number of female MPs. Party and women’s list MPs were also advised to “pool up their CDF money” for the state wide territories they represent. The MPs adopted the CFC recommendation and demanded that the current CDF Act be amended to cater for MPs who did not have a constituency. The CDF program was adopted by SSLA in 2007 to directly boost rural development. But some constituency funds failed to reach the health, education or water projects the money was put aside for. On Tuesday MPs discussed this issue although it was noted that some constituencies had benefited. The CFC, the body tasked to monitor and approve projects funded through CDF, said in a report that 120 million SDG was available and 16 million SDG ($6 million) was expected from ministry of finance of Government of southern Sudan (GoSS) for the fiscal year 2010. Five percent of the total will remain in a emergency reserve for the whole of South Sudan. According to the CDF law, 10 percent goes towards administrative costs and 85 percent for project costs. The fierce four hour debate, under the chairmanship of speaker James Wani Igga, centered on allowing women and party list representatives be allowed to benefit from the CDF as opposed to some MPs who argued otherwise. Today’s resolution means that women and party lists representatives will collect CDF funds and wait for an amendment of the current CDF legislation so that pooling of constituencies development funds is permitted. On July 9, the Southern Sudan Legislative Assembly will become the law making body of an independent South Sudan. A 2005 peace deal with Khartoum gave the region the right to secede through a referendum. An overwhelmingly vote for secession earlier this year means that the Republic of South Sudan will become the world’s 193rd country - if you count UN membership - in less than a month. (ST) -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "JFD info" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/jfdinfo?hl=en.
