The Speaker of the Transitional National Legislative Assembly (TNLA) has called on lawmakers to embrace a spirit of love and forgiveness in the new year as she resumed work after leave.
Jemma Nunu Kumba welcomed newly appointed parliamentarians from both the SPLM and SPLM-IO, delivering a message centered on peace, love, forgiveness, and reconciliation.
Addressing lawmakers during the ordinary sitting on Wednesday, the Kumba commended her deputies for guiding the August House while she was away and called on them and the MPs to continue with the same spirit.
“You are all welcome to this ordinary third sitting of 2026. I am happy to see all of you here in the new year 2026. This is my first time chairing a sitting in the new year,” she said. “First, I would like to wish all of you a happy, prosperous new year full of good spirit and good health. I thank my deputies for managing the parliament in my absence.”
“I am back with a full spirit of hope, spirit of forgiveness, and reconciliation, and I also expect you to have the same spirit of love among yourselves for forgiveness and reconciliation,” Kumba added.
She emphasized that forgiveness remains the only viable path forward for the country’s leadership and the parliament.
“I believe there is nothing impossible that we cannot overcome when we come together in the spirit of unity, dedication, and unity for our nation and our people; we can overcome any difficulty,” the speaker stated.
She expressed hope for stronger cooperation among the different arms of government and state institutions in addressing outstanding issues related to the peace agreement.
She concluded by underscoring the crucial role parliament must play in the implementation of the peace agreement and in improving the lives of South Sudanese citizens.