By Taban Henry
Some Civil Society activists are criticizing the South Sudanese leaders of not showing the ambition to go for democratic elections at the end of the transitional period that leaders do not want elections.
Speaking to the media in a joint press briefing, Wednesday the Chairperson of South Sudan Civil Society Alliance Akuoch Ajang Nyanhom said the leaders in South Sudan do not want elections because they will be held accountable.
He however argued that it’s the right of the citizens to call for elections in order to choose leaders they believe in their capacity to deliver services to this country.
“We need to have a social control by giving our rights to individuals that we believe they are responsible to deliver services and in return when they are elected being a Commissioner, Governor or President. We expect them to deliver services to the people of South Sudan build the security, road and all the sectors that we need,” he said.
Nyanhom stated that it’s only the people of South Sudan who want elections to be conducted and once it’s conducted this is where politicians are held accountable.
“We account politicians by electing individuals that we want but some leaders know that once they go for elections they will not come back to power so they don’t want elections to be conducted” he underlined.
He further added that people go for election to capture power, they are elected to be governors, commissioners and MPs to serve and they are already in power, why do you think that they want elections. “You are aspiring for elections to get an office”.
“Most of the leaders have just joined the government and I am sure if you are a member of parliament and you know you will not come back during election then the intention here is to extent the agreement, I think it is the interest of the parties to extent the peace agreement because they will continue to rule the Country, continue to serve as ministers, MPs, commissioners and there is nothing that can bother them because they are in charge,” Nyanhom explained.
The civil society activist also stated that the Interim government will not be legitimate if the six months elapse without any roadmap or without any extension of the peace agreement then the legitimacy of the government will not be there of course because the government is legitimate because of the peace agreement.
“The last time we had election was in 2010 and now we are in 2022 so the government of national unity is legitimate because of the peace agreement, what we can say is that the parties has to work together to bring the roadmap that will determine and spell out the date for elections and any roadmap that does not spell out the date for elections is not a roadmap and we will see that as buying time,” lamented the activist.