By Aweye Teddy Onam
South Sudan’s National Legislators have expressed concern over the country’s ability to hold free and fair elections in 2024, citing an unconducive environment.
The lawmakers echoed the concerns on Tuesday, while deliberating on a report of the reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (R-JMEC).
The report on the status of the implementation of the Revitalized Peace Agreement cited that the formation and operations of institutions responsible to prepare and conduct of general elections remain to be done.
Political parties’ council and the National Election Commission (NEC) are the relevant institutions mandated to handle the forthcoming elections.
Some lawmakers underlined that the large number of guns among the civil population and the unfinished security arrangements, make it unfavorable for elections.
Festo Lemi Sominda, a lawmaker from Central Equatoria State, said credible and democratic elections need a peaceful, conducive, and stable environment.
“The environment is not suitable for elections because very many civilians are holding guns, and we are now running towards elections,” he observed.
He said that parties to peace agreement need to make a proper security arrangement in place to protect electorates when voting time arrives.
Meanwhile, Justin Joseph Marona, from Western Equatoria State lamented that the permanent constitution-making process is one of the core issues lagging behind in the roadmap leading to elections.
The August House recommended that the Unity Government should quickly reconstitute the National Constitution Review Commission (NCRC) and establish a preparatory subcommittee for the constitution-making process.