File: President Salva Kiir listens to the national anthem at the TNLA in Juba, February 21, 2017. REUTERS/Jok Solomon

After over a year of waiting, President Salva Kiir has finally issued a republican decree this evening reconstituting the Transitional National Legislative Assembly (TNLA).

The order announced on state TV-SSBC includes members of the SPLM party; the National Agenda, the Democratic Change (D.C) party, the SPLM-IO, the South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA), the Other Opposition Parties (OPP), and the former detainees (FDs).

This comes two days after the president dissolved both the Transitional National Legislative Assembly and the Council of states.

The move is in line with provisions of the revitalized peace agreement that requires expansion and reconstitution of the national legislature to include members of opposition parties signatories to the 2018 deal.

Parties to the peace deal dragged reconstitution of both upper and lower houses for over a year despite the formation of the executive arm of the government.

Observers say the lack of a functional parliament made it difficult for the enactment of laws that assist the transitional processes, including reforms spelled out in the peace agreement.

According to the revitalized peace deal, both houses—TNLA and the Council of States shall be reconstituted to include new appointees per the revitalized peace agreement.

The TNLA will be expanded from 400 to 550 members comprising representatives from the peace parties.

The former Transitional government shall nominate 332 members, SPLM-IO with 128, members and South Sudan Opposition Alliance, or SSOA, with 50 members.

The Other Political Parties, OPP shall have 30 representatives and the Former Detainees with 10.

The Council of States, on the other hand, shall be expanded from 50 members to 100. The president is however yet to issue orders for expansion and reconstitution of the Council of States.

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