By Bosco Bush
Leader of the United South Sudan Party (USSP) has expressed frustration over the sluggish preparations for the upcoming general elections in December 2024.
Hon. Paulino Lukudu, who also doubles as a Member of Parliament in the Council of States, stated that there is no much preparedness seen from some of the institutions responsible for the conduct of elections.
“Unfortunately, until now we have not seen preparations of the institutions that are concerned with the elections. We have not even seen their budget brought to the Parliament,” Lukudu said in an interview.
For the country to go for credible, free and fair elections, the National Election Commission (NEC) is mandated to carry out a countrywide voter registration and voter education 6 months before holding elections.
According to the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement, the National Election Commission (NEC) is mandated to conduct a nationwide voter registration and voter education campaign at least six months before the elections.
With less than five months left, Lukudu noted that these critical electoral processes are yet to commence.
“The National Election Commission is behind the timeframe of election in some of the activities so far. NEC by this time is supposed to have established functioning offices in the states that can start the voters’ registration process,” he said.
Last month, NEC Chairperson Professor Abednego Akok reiterated that the commission is required by law to declare a definite election calendar by July 2024, at least six months before the scheduled vote.
NEC had also formed electoral committees for the ten states and the three administrative areas. However, the committees have not yet commenced their work.