NCP and SPLM reach preliminary agreement to increase parliamentary seats for South Sudan in the Interim National Assembly

Deputy Chairman of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM), Riek Machar, said his party and the National Congress Party reached a preliminary agreement to increase the number of seats for Southern Sudan in the Interim National Assembly. Speaking exclusively to Miraya FM, Machar said the assembly will resume sessions after a three months recess to amend the National Elections Law in which the number of parliamentary seats would be increased to more than 450.

Machar also told Miraya FM that the Government of Southern Sudan and SPLM believe that the number of seats allocated for southerners in the National Assembly should not be less than (30%). He said that this would be an essential step to resolve the disputed national census results.

Meanwhile, a leading member of the National Congress Party, Rabi' Abdel Atti (pictured left), said that the Comprehensive Peace Agreement's partners agreed to review the National Elections Law. Speaking to Miraya FM, Abdel Atti said that his party will work towards reaching a consensus on the number of SPLM seats in the National Assembly. However, he pointed out that the step is not a compromise for the disputed census results.