By Yiep Joseph and William Maduok
Leader of Other Political Parties (OPP) Kornelio Kon Ngu has asserted that the upcoming elections in 2026 are non-negotiable, despite the prevailing economic challenges.
Kon who is also the Deputy Speaker for Welfare, stated in a press briefing on Friday that while his group agreed to an extension to 2026, they would not accept any excuses for further delays.
“There is no excuse; nothing will stop elections from not being conducted in December 2026,” Kon said.
He stated that his group (OPP) supported the extension of the government and election to save the country from divisive politics and rush elections.
“If we rush to elections and the country is divided into tribal and clan lines, this would eventually take us to square one or war, so we accepted the extension, and we hope that polls will be carried out in 2026,” he said.
The OPP leader added the parties did not implement what is required for the election to take place; however, he promised that parties are committed never to disappoint the citizens any more.
“As South Sudan, we have not reached the basic electoral requirement that can allow us to conduct free, fair, and creditable elections; therefore, we agreed for the extension to give us time to implement pending issues,” he said.
“We work hand in hand with our citizens to ensure that the elections are conducted on the scheduled date and time,” he expressed.
He stated that the political parties did not only extend to implement pending tasks but also to allow trust building among leaders, adding that it is vital to allow parties to the 2018 deal to accomplish the remaining provisions.
“Trust is very important; the existence of trust and confidence among political parties and citizens can give us good ground to go for elections,” he said.
The OPP called on organizations to support the government in creating awareness among citizens about the importance of the extension and how they can vote during elections.
“We call on local organizations to embark on an intensified awareness campaign so that the voters will not vote for their relative, uncle, or aunty son; they must vote for the programs of the party or the candidates,” he said.
He reiterated that the extension would allow parties to register and start a fair campaign for the people of South Sudan to see what they wanted to do.
“Up to now, we still have some political parties that did not register; they are hesitant, and that is why we want to give them a chance to register and kickstart their campaign with clear [development] programs,” he said.
Amid the ongoing economic crisis, Kon assured that the country has sufficient funds to support peace implementation, stating that ineffective systems are the primary obstacle to proper revenue collection.
“We have money; why don’t we have money? We have money, but we don’t have a good system, and we, as political parties, will work hard to make sure that there is reform in our institutions.”
He said the parties would work hard this time around to reform the system to ensure that enough resources are mobilized for peace implementation.
“There is no way that a country stays without money; we have money; we will work for system reform so that money will be there; the government will work to ensure that there is money this time,” he said.
He added that leaders are committed to ensuring that the transformation takes place in all the sectors.
“As leaders, we are sure that changes and reform will happen, and President Salva Kiir is ready to do reform so that there will not be any excuse for any extension,” he said.
Last Month, the government extended the transitional period and the conduct of elections for two years, citing incomplete implementation of key provisions of the road.