By Yang Ater Yang
At least 21 members of the Civil Society Organization Network, in Lakes State underwent a three-day training on the electoral process.
The training was organized by the Community Empowerment Organization (CEPO) in partnership with the Centre for Inclusive Governance, Peace and Justice (CIGPJ) and the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES).
It focused on monitoring, analyzing, and reporting on electoral and political processes, as well as consultations on collective engagement with political leaders.
The aim was to enhance the knowledge and skills of civil society organizations in accurately monitoring, analyzing, and reporting on election-related violence and restrictions of civic space.
Angelina Awau, one of the participants, expressed her appreciation for the organizing parties.
“It is an honor to be chosen as the rightful members of civil society to receive this training before the upcoming election in South Sudan,” she said.
Awau praised the facilitation provided by the CEPO team, stating that the discussions and group work during the three-day period had been very productive.
John Thon Kuat, the Minister of Parliamentary and Legal Affairs, emphasized the importance of the training for the upcoming election.
“You have been trained to go and train others, to raise the voice of the upcoming election, and to educate the civil population about their democratic rights,” he said.
Abraham Chol Akec, a church faith participant representative from the Catholic Church in Rumbek, urged the civil society members to exercise the skills and knowledge they had acquired during the training.
He also suggested that the training should be extended to include political parties, as they too need to be aware of the electoral process.
Daniel Laat Kon, the Lakes State coordinator for CEPO, explained that the training was part of a project focused on raising the voice of civil society.
The participants discussed the electoral system, procedures, and the roles of various stakeholders, including civil society organizations and the media.
“Our aim is to ensure that civil society organizations are trained on how to monitor the electoral process, from the pre-election period to the post-election phase,” Kon said.
“Whether there is an election or not, civil society needs to be ready to monitor the process and ensure it is fair and transparent.”