By Tereza Jeremiah Chuei
The Executive Director of Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO), Edmond Yakani has said his organization plans to conduct a survey on issues of elections and the implementation of Revitalized Peace Agreement (R-ARCSS) which will involve public opinion polls.
In a press statement extended to No.1 Citizen Daily Newspaper, Yakani said his organization will share the journey with the other Civil Society members in order to involve public opinions towards transitioning on 22nd February, 2023.
The activist said the exercise is intended to generate evidence for R-ARCSS implementation advocacy.
“CEPO in collaboration with other civil society will conduct R-ARCSS Implementation Survey which will involve public opinion polling on conduct of elections and on way forward for transitioning from 22nd February, 2023. This exercise is intended to generate evidences for R-ARCSS implementation advocacy engagement,” Yakani said.
CEPO however is urging the presidency to hold meeting on the status of R-ARCSS implementation and make political decisions on way forward.
He said the implementation of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS) requires urgent meeting of the presidency on the status of R-ARCSS implementation.
“The implementation of the R-ARCSS is getting too selective. The implementation of the political milestone is effective in terms of responsibility sharing but in terms of political decisions and commitment to delivering successful political transformation of the society from violence to peace there is dragging of feet a lot,” he stated.
The CEPO’s Executive Director suggested for early dialogue among the political parties that are signatories to the Revitalized Agreement on a way forward of transitioning to democracy.
“The presidency is the primary institution that can initiate this early dialogue on the status of R-ARCSS implementation. The silence of the Presidency on these issues of reaching early political decisions on the transition from 22nd February 2023 may put the country in serious political dilemma” Yakani warmed.
He stressed that, the current political confusion from the presidency around the issues of whether the election will be conducted or not has left some individual and institution in dilemma with others already predicting about what awaits them in the nearest future.
“The current dragging of feet on the graduation of the first branch of the unified forces already made majority of the public convinced that there is high deficit in trust among the parties on genuine implementation of R-ARCSS,” Yakani hinted.