By Charles K Mark
Leadership of the Anglican Church has called on the unity government to take immediate action towards activating the election bodies to prepare for the highly anticipated 2024 national elections.
The clerics made the call on Thursday after concluding their House of Bishops meeting in Juba.
They emphasized the importance of conducting free and fair elections in the country, which will not only ensure a peaceful and stable future but also bring about positive change for the people of South Sudan.
“We urge the R-TGoNU to urgently swear in the members of the Constitutional Review Commission and the Electoral Commission to start their work, given the fact that the remaining time for elections is too short,” partly read their communique issued after the meeting.
Early this month, President Salva Kiir reconstituted the National Constitutional Review Commission (NCRC), the National Elections Commission (NEC), and the Political Parties Council (PPC), putting the country ripe for the 2024 polls.
But only members of the Political Parties Council have been sworn into office.
In their communique, the clergymen urge the government to speed up the remaining electoral bodies.
The bishops also called on the government to improve security in all parts of the country for a conducive environment for the free movement of citizens.
It further applauded the R-TGoNU for the reformation of the Constitutional Review Commission and the National Electoral Commission and for swearing in the Political Parties Council.
The 63 Anglican Bishops representing the 61 Dioceses in the Province of the Episcopal Church of South Sudan met from November 18–23, 2023, in Juba under the theme “Making good use of God’s resources” (Matthew 25:14–30).
The Episcopal Church declared the Church’s readiness to engage in civic education as soon as possible, and the country gears toward its first presidential pools.
It stated that the ECSS has already started to create and enhance awareness among communities and the faithful.
The Anglican Church pledged to also cooperate with civil society in support of the electoral commission to disseminate the guidelines and procedures of the election to the faithful.
It also promised to embark on continuous advocacy towards nonviolence and amicable and peaceful measures of resolving conflicts.