At least 20 clerks from state parliaments are currently attending workshop to polish their legislative skills aimed at strengthening good governance and multi-party democracy.
Titus Osundina, the Deputy Resident Representative for the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) said the training will enable provision of legal environment, and legislative framework on governance and enrich the ongoing constitutional-making process.
He told journalists on Tuesday during the opening of the workshop at Landmark Hotel in Juba.
James Francis Kutiyote, the Undersecretary for the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, said that the training is aimed at bridging the gap between the executive and the legislature.
“We have had a lot of plans trying to see how we can support and fulfil some of the key mandates of the ministry of parliamentary affairs which is mainly to empower the legislature and ensure there is effective reach between the legislature and executive,”Kutiyote said.
Garang Tong Akeen, the Deputy Minister for Cabinet Affairs, said that the clerks have functions that cannot be underestimated, adding that the state assemblies have a role of linking the citizens with their government.
“It is obvious that the state assemblies are the more important grassroots institutions in linking the citizens with their government, for the parliament to function effectively it is the clerk to provide the needed administrative skills to direct all affairs from within,”Akeen said.
“The clerks are more important in terms of day- to- day running of activities of the assembly including the members of the parliament and parliamentary staff,” he added.
