President Salva Kiir Mayardit and First Vice President Riek Machar shaking hands. |File Photo|.
South Sudan’s Minister of Cabinet Affairs, Martin Elia Lomuro said the main opposition group, Sudan People’s Liberation Movement In-Opposition (SPLM-IO) has proposed that the elections should be an adjournment of the upcoming general elections to 2026 to allow the parties signatory to the revitalized peace agreement to implement critical pending tasks crucial for the conduct of free, fair and credible polls.
This followed the extended presidency meeting on Tuesday 13 August chaired by President Salva Kiir Mayardit and attended by First Vice President Riek Machar, Vice President James Wani Igga, Vice President Taban Deng Gai, Vice President Hussein Abdelbahi Akol, Vice President Rebecca Nyandeng and members of the high-level standing committee for implementation of the peace roadmap among others.
The discussions were centered on the fate of the upcoming general elections and aligning the Tumaini Initiative with the agreement on the resolution of conflict in South Sudan, signed in 2018.
Minister Lomuro said during the meeting, the members representing the South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA) suggested holding the inter-party dialogue to iron out the contentious issues regarding the conduct of free and fair elections in the country.
He said the presidency resolved to summon the key election institutions such as the National Elections Commission, Political Parties Council, and the National Constitutional Review Commission to brainstorm on the timetable to guide the conduct of credible polls for the presidency to decide on the way forward.
Last month, the Chairperson of the National Elections Commission Abednego Akok Kacuol declared 22 December as the date for general elections across the country. He however cited delays in agreeing on the polls deferred the voter registration exercise and other pre-election activities.
On Tuesday 13 August, the Political Parties Council passed the code of conduct to guide the activities of the registered political parties during and after the anticipated general elections.
Federal Affairs Minister, Lasuba Wongo stressed that delaying elections would give enough time for the parties part of the revitalized agreement to implement the key provisions of the agreement such as the security arrangements including the deployment of unified forces and completing discussion on the permanent constitution among other outstanding issues.
