The Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Ruben Madol Arol in a letter issued on Monday tooled down the decision by the Chairperson of the Political Parties Council to charge a fee of 75,000 United States Dollars for political registration and licensing in South Sudan as illegal and unlawful according to laws of the country.

Based on the pursuant to Article 135 (2) and (6) of the Transitional Constitution of the Republic of South Sudan, 2011 as amended, read together with Section 25 (1) and (k) of the Ministry of Legal Affairs and Constitutional Development Organization Act, 2008, I do hereby render that the decision of the Chairperson of the Political Parties Council is illegal and unlawful as it is based based on the Political Parties Council Regulations, 2024, still under the amendment and not yet signed into regulations and not the Political Parties Council Regulations, 2015 which is enforce now pending the signature of the Political Parties Council (Amendment) Regulations, 2024.

The decision violates the transitional Constitution of the Republic of South Sudan, 2011 as amended, the Political Parties Act, 2012 as amended and the Bank of South Sudan Act, 2011.

The decision is hereby declared null and void, [and] the determination of registration and licensing fees for the Political Parties should be based on the Political Parties Council, 2015.