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The bill introduced by the government aims to amend five articles of the constitution. It requests that the mandate of the National Transitional Parliament and the Office of the President be extended from 12 August to 12 August 2021. The term of office of the First Vice-President, State Legislatures and State Governors would also be extended.
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Second reading in 30 days
The bill is examined by the technical commission of parliament and should be subject to a second reading in Parliament in 30 days. Many lawmakers, including those in opposition, seem to have welcomed the bill. However, many citizens believe that this measure is intended to thwart the ongoing peace negotiations.
It happens that Kiir and his political rival, former Vice President Riek Machar, repeatedly fail to negotiate a lasting peace. South Sudan fell into civil war after Kiir accused Machar of trying to catch power.
Less than three years earlier, South Sudan separated from Sudan, becoming the new nation of the world on July 9, 2011.
Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir (center) witnessed the signing of the Kiir Peace Agreement (left) and his great rival Riek Machar (right)
Tens of thousands of people were killed in the fighting and about 4 million people displaced in this country of 12 million.
Read more government forces raped, killed
"permanent" ceasefire
The government has taken the upper hand militarily while the opposition has split since A 2015 peace agreement collapsed in mid-2016. At the time, Machar fled the country following further clashes between the army and his bodyguards in the capital Juba.
Last week, the two leaders agreed on a cease-fire humanitarian corridors in the landlocked country. They also accepted the release of the prisoners and the withdrawal of the forces. The meeting was held in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum.
South Sudan's referendum on the independence of Sudan in 2011 comes after decades of war between the north and south of what was then the largest country of Africa
. Ethiopia last month, after a long absence from the country and the exclusion of the peace process, at the request of the African Intergovernmental Authority on Development.
The South Sudanese people skeptically watched the latest talks between Kiir and Machar behind closed doors, with some seeing the effort to amend the constitution as a way to delay the process that should lead to the formation of a government .
"There will be a slowdown in the peace process because the government will think that" agreement, now our mandate has been extended so why bargain for peace? "" Dimo Silva, a resident of Juba, told DW
"Why can not we fight and find a way to keep the system because [by] extending their term they will have a motive for to argue or argue that they are legitimate because the people still want them? "Silva said.
Lawmakers support change
Leader of the opposition in the current parliament, Gabriel Roricjur, supports the bill. "We think, like the other parties, that there is a legal procedure and the government should have a new mandate until the Agreement signed, "he told DW.
James Okuk, a professor of political science at the University of Juba, told DW that he thinks the introduction of the bill by the government is a signal to the rebels to jeopardize the peace talks.
"If you drag with this agreement there will be a void. Let's not leave this void, we'll just fill that gap by extending our mandate and we'll be there for three years and you'll stay cold outside. "So, you'd better speed up the compromise and agree with us on the revitalized government." said.
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