South Sudan currently faces a plethora of crises, yet Parliament continues to skip some of the sittings meant to discuss vital matters.

Parliament is the people’s house which exists to deliberate on issues of national importance and to exercise oversight over government.

Painfully, the inconsistency of parliamentary sittings; often without clear explanations has become a worrying trend that risks eroding public trust in the legislature.

In fact, in recent weeks, its absence has become deafening. This is not just procedural negligence; it is a failure of national duty by the legislators. Especially at a time when the country is grappling with urgent crisis.

The implementation of South Sudan’s fiscal budget should in reality be seamless, like the links of a bicycle chain with each year connecting to the next without delay.

Yet, as of now, the budget for the 2025/2026 fiscal year remains unpassed, despite the previous cycle ending on June 30. While operational guidelines exist on paper, the reality on the ground tells a different story

An economy where civil servants and organized forces continue to serve without pay. How long should a teacher go without a salary?

How long should soldiers guard borders with empty pockets? A budget is not merely a financial document; it is the backbone of national planning and accountability. Without timely implementation, the country risks deepening its liquidity. Is parliament waiting for the crises to resolve themselves?

Meanwhile, aging civil servants remain trapped in service because pension funds are nonexistent. Why has parliament not demanded answers? Anyhow, how will they demand answers when they do not sit regularly as stipulated by the Assembly Business Committee thrice a week?

Floods continue to displace hundreds of thousands, families are sleeping in the open, children are falling ill, and humanitarian agencies are stretched thin.

Delays in sittings have consequences. They deny the nation timely laws, obstruct the passage of the budget, and weaken accountability mechanisms. Most importantly, they betray the trust of citizens who expect their elected representatives to stand at the frontline of national problem-solving.

Parliament must remember that its mandate is not a privilege but a responsibility. Consistency in sittings is essential not optional.

The hard questions must be asked: Why is parliament failing to sit regularly? Who benefits from these delays? And most critically, who bears the cost? The answer is clear – the suffering citizen.

At this juncture of crisis, the country needs a parliament that meets, debates, and acts with urgency. Anything less is a betrayal of duty. The call is simple: Parliament must sit regularly, pass the budget, and provide oversight worthy of a nation in need.

The ball is in Parliament’s court, and history will judge its silence.