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23 August 2024 (Juba) – South Sudan’s Electoral Commission has outlined the conditions for holding elections, after lowering expectations following indications that they could take place in December.
The head of the National Electoral Commission, Abednego Akok Kacuol, on Friday put forward two key conditions, overturning an earlier announcement that elections could be held on December 22, 2024.
Kakuol said elections could only be held if Parliament amended the Electoral Law or provided sufficient resources to carry out the necessary activities within the stipulated time.
“The holding of elections is possible under two conditions: first, amendments to the electoral law, as certain provisions related to voter registration, campaigning and voting day need to be amended. The government must submit these amendments to Parliament for debate and promulgation into law. If this can be done in the short time left, we can go ahead with the elections. The second condition is the availability of resources. If resources are guaranteed, we can hold elections in such a short time,” said Kakuol.
The statement was issued in response to a directive from the Presidential Conference, which tasked the National Electoral Commission, the National Constitutional Review Commission and the Political Parties Council to provide a realistic timetable for the general elections.
President Salva Kiir called on all parties to the 2018 peace agreement to decide on the future direction of the upcoming elections. In response, the technical bodies set conditions for the inter-party committee tasked with reviewing the implementation of the 2018 peace agreement and its roadmap. However, it is unclear when the inter-party committee will submit its report to the presidency.
The review committee, chaired by the National Security Adviser to the South Sudanese President, told the media on Thursday that the opinions expressed by all technical bodies had been taken into consideration and a report would be submitted to the President for a decision.
The speaker urged the people of South Sudan and the international community to remain patient while the review is completed. South Sudan has not held elections since it seceded from Sudan in 2011.
Elections originally scheduled for 2015 were postponed due to the 2013 conflict, which left the country destabilized, with large numbers of people displaced and insecure. The 2018 peace agreement led to the formation of a national unity government and provided a roadmap for elections.
However, due to the failure to implement key terms of the agreement in a timely manner, the parties agreed in 2022 to extend the term of the transitional government by 24 months and postpone the election deadline to February 2025.
(English stone)
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