By William Madouk
First Vice President, Dr. Riek Machar, has called on parties signatory to the 2018 Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan to implement the pending prerequisites outlined in the deal.
According to a statement from the press unit in the Office of the First Vice President, Machar emphasized that the implementation of these key provisions is important for preparing the nation to conduct peaceful, fair, and credible elections.
“The First Vice President of South Sudan, H.E Dr. Riek Machar Teny has called on all parties signatory to the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the conflict in South Sudan to diligently implement the prerequisites outlined in the 2018 agreement,” the statement partly read.
Some of the key prerequisites highlighted by Machar include security arrangements and the conduct of a national population census, both of which are essential for creating an environment conducive to free and fair elections.
“The necessity of key prerequisites, including the deployment of unified forces, the establishment of a permanent constitution-making process, and conducting a population census among other commitments per the agreement,” the statement added.
The First Vice President’s appeal comes as South Sudan prepares for upcoming elections, which is a crucial step in democratic transition following the signing of the 2018 peace deal.
Machar’s remarks were made after he met with the Sudanese Ambassador to Juba, Isam Mohammed Hassan, in his office.
Besides, during the meeting, Dr. Machar and the Sudanese envoy also discussed border issues to foster peace and stability for sisterly nations and beyond the East African region.
The Sudanese diplomat to Juba, Amb. Hassan described the meeting as fruitful, adding that they had talk on various topic including political and economic matters that impact both nations.
Dr. Machar and Amb. Hassan also explored the historical and social bonds that exist between the two sororal countries.
As provided by the September 2018 revitalised peace agreement, South Sudan will be expected to conduct the first democratic general elections as a sovereign state.
However, critical provisions of the agreement have remained unimplemented, causing disagreements among parties about whether or not elections should be held in 2023.
As it is, mixed views remain to emerge from the lowest cadres of government to the summit of the country’s leadership, as leaders weigh in on the matter differently and read from different scripts.
On several occasions, Kiir has repeated the plan to hold general elections by the end of the transitional period and called for his ruling party’s members to prepare for the race come 2023.
“We need to embark on peace. When we are done with the interim period in which we are in now, we shall straight away go for the elections,” said the President during an engagement event with the SPLM Youth League.