National, State Legislatures move to establish Speakers’ Forum

South Sudan’s national and state legislative bodies have initiated steps to establish a Speakers’ Forum aimed at enhancing inter-parliamentary coordination, harmonizing legislation, and addressing operational challenges facing assemblies across the country.

Five Speakers from State Transitional Legislative Assemblies held consultative talks in Juba with the Speaker of the Transitional National Legislative Assembly (TNLA), Rt. Hon. Joseph Ngere Päciko, to discuss foundational frameworks for the proposed platform.

Once operationalized, the forum will convene leadership from South Sudan’s ten state assemblies, three administrative areas, and the national legislature to foster institutional cooperation.

Speaking on behalf of the state Speakers, Rt. Hon. Charles Udwar Ukech, Speaker of the Eastern Equatoria State Transitional Legislative Assembly, stated that the initiative will provide a structured mechanism for resolving key obstacles confronting state-level assemblies while building stronger working relationships with the TNLA.

He reaffirmed the commitment of state legislative leaders to collaborate with national lawmakers in advancing legislative priorities and promoting good governance.

In response, TNLA Speaker Rt. Hon. Joseph Ngere Päciko welcomed the initiative as timely, emphasizing that a unified parliamentary platform will streamline the harmonization of laws, facilitate the sharing of best practices, and strengthen the collective voice of legislative institutions nationwide.

He further assured state leadership of the national assembly’s ongoing support to help regional legislatures fulfill their constitutional mandates.