By William Madouk
President Salva Kiir Mayardit has walked the talk by reconstituting key election institutions that are necessary for the conduct of the 2024 general elections.
On Friday, the head of state reconstituted the National Constitutional Review Commission (NCRC), the National Elections Commission (NEC), and the Political Parties Council (PPC), making the country ripe for polls.
The Council of Political Parties is responsible for registering and supervising the activities of political parties.
Also, the National Elections Commission, which is charged with managing the electoral process,
In a decree read on the state-owned SSBC Radio/TV, Kiir appointed officials from all stakeholders, including people with special needs.
SPLM-IO’s Riang Yier Zuor was appointed as the NCRC chairperson, deputized by SPLM Party’s Awak Bior Ajang, and a civil servant, Abraham John Nathana, as secretary, just to mention but a few.
The president, in another decree, reconstituted the National Elections Commission and appointed officials to lead the independent entity.
The incumbent National Election Commission (NEC) chairperson, Prof. Abednego Akok Kacuol, retained his post after being appointed on the SPLM ticket.
Michael Yabagayo of the South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA) was appointed NEC deputy chairperson, and Mac Maika Deng, a civil servant, was retained as the Chief Electoral Officer.
Kiir also appointed James Akol Zakayo as chairperson for the Political Parties Council, deputized by Lona Loduro; meanwhile, Peter James Lemi was selected as executive secretary.
Earlier last week, the national minister of peacebuilding, Stephen Par Kuol, said South Sudan is not prepared for elections due to a lack of necessary preparations for conducting elections.
According to the roadmap, which highlights the implementation of the pending tasks in the agreement, the political parties’ council was supposed to be reconstituted before the end of 2022; however, this has taken a long time to take effect.
This council was established to be responsible for the registration of political parties.
Without these councils and the registration of the parties, most of the parties will continue to operate illegally if there is no link to the ongoing peace agreement.
The peace political parties include the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), led by President Salva Kiir; the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-in-Opposition (SPLM/A-IO), led by First Vice President Riek Machar; the South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA); Other Political Parties (OPP); and former detainees (FDs).
There are also other parties outside the realm of the peace deal declaring their interest in capturing seats in the elections.
Most government officials, including the country’s president, expressed the government’s readiness to hold the elections on time.
South Sudan is scheduled to conduct the first-ever general elections in December 2024 as per the 2018 peace agreement.