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COVER STORY

SOUTH SUDAN CONSTITUTION

Constitution: Presidential Term

limit and Federal System of

Government Top Citizens Concerns

The Republic of South Sudan will be going to the polls in 2015 to choose a new government at
the end of the transitional period. To have a democratic change, the Transitional Constitution
has been subjected to a review by the National Constitutional Review Commission (NCRC).
The Commission is mandated to conduct a review through country wide civic education
and consult with all stakeholders. Gurtong’s Associate Editor Francis Apiliga Lagu looks into
the process and reports on the key concerns from the citizens.

The audience at the Constitutional Review at New York Hotel in Juba. [Gurtong | Waakhe Simon Wudu]

The Commission whose one year 55-member Commission have been other relevant documents such as the
mandate expired on 9th January 2013 overshadowed by an array of logistical, constitutions of Kenya, South Africa,
and may be extended soon is also political and financial constraints. Ghana and India as reference materials.
mandated to prepare a draft permanent The NCRC only managed to draft The NCRC also the conducted a few
constitution along with an explanatory the internal rules of procedure, works on public participation in the
report to be presented to the president prepared and approved an action plan, constitution making process, constitu-
explaining its activities over the period. photocopied and distributed copies tional challenges facing South Sudan
However, the core functions of the of the Transitional Constitution and and a few of the commissioners also

12 | Gurtong Focus Monthly February 2013