By Kidega Livingstone
National Election Commission (NEC) delegations visited Rumbek town, in a countrywide tour, to discuss pre-election processes with Lakes State government.
Crucial issues discussed, include voters’ registration, civic education for December 2024 polls, and mapping of polling stations across the state.
NEC Commissioner Mac Maika Deng, who doubles as Chief Executive Officer, led the delegation.
The delegation held several discussions with other stakeholders, including the State High Elections Committee, political parties, civil society organizations, faith-based organizations, women and youth, and people with disabilities.
In a statement seen by No. 1 Citizen Daily Newspaper, Lake State Governor Gen. Rin Tueny Mabor advised the delegates to engage stakeholders, including communities, in civic education.
He said that majority of the local population is illiterate about elections.
He stated that the political parties in the state have agreed to work together and were able to resolve some of the issues that have divided them previously.
“As the nation gets ready for elections, any political party that wants to hold meetings or campaigns in Lakes State is welcome to do so when the time for campaigning comes,” said Tueny.
Last week, Members of Parliament of the two August houses were urged to handle the issue of elections seriously following the cases of civic and political space interference that have been documented since January 2024.
The Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) has documented at least nine cases of civic and political space interference since January.
A civil society group noted that the cases mostly involved members of the SPLM and SPLM-In Opposition parties within the state levels.
Lake State Minister of Information, Paul Cabinet Ayang, stated in a statement to the media that the electoral commission delegation from Juba inspected the state electoral commission offices.
He added that they have agreed to open the state election high committee soon and also open the centers in all eight counties in the state so that work could begin.
However, Ayang said the NEC delegate told the state authorities that they are not sure of the type of election the country is going to have by the end of the year, adding that it depends on the political parties’ decisions.
Meanwhile, the ruling SPLM party has earlier proposed only executive elections to be conducted in December, where electorates will only cast their ballots for the president and state governors, while the parliamentary election will have to be held a year later.