Charles Tai Gituai, interim chairperson of R-JMEC |File Photo|
Vincent Samuel,
South Sudan’s peace monitoring body, the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (RJMEC) on Thursday (23 May) said there is no sufficient evidence of preparations for credible elections in South Sudan.
The parties that formed the transitional government of national unity agreed to conduct general elections in December 2024 at the end of the transitional period, however, there seems to be no political will to embrace a democratic system of governance in the world’s youngest nation.
Speaking at the opening of the meeting in Juba, RJMEC Interim Chairperson, Amb. Maj. Gen. Charles Tai Gituai said it is concerning that “barely seven months to the elections, there is still no evidence of sufficient preparation for the conduct of elections and implementation of critical election-related tasks.”
In his assessment of the Revitalized Peace Agreement, Amb. Gituai said these critical tasks, among others, include the full operationalization and funding of the Political Parties Council (PPC), the National Elections Commission (NEC), and the National Constitutional Review Commission (NCRC), completion of Phase I and Phase II unification of forces, and making of a permanent constitution to guide the conduct of elections.
In addition, he said, the conduct by the NEC of elections-related such as the establishment of subsidiary electoral management bodies at the state level, the establishment of procedures for the voter registry and registration, and support to civic education and voter outreach, the publication of the voters register six months prior to the holding of elections, are also pending.
He further stated that other pending tasks to be completed, include the judicial reform process, review of the judiciary Act and establishment of the Constitutional Court, and the enactment of the revised National Security Service Act (Amendment) Bill 2023 to, among others, create an enabling civic and political space for citizens’ participation in governance.
As such, he said, it is important that the inter-party dialogue be expedited to provide clarity on the way forward.
“This would help the South Sudanese to prepare sufficiently and enable timely mobilization of resources by the regional and international community to support the process,” he said.
Furthermore, Amb. Gituai raised concerns about continued inter-communal violence in different parts of the country, such as in Tambura, Twic, and parts of the Abyei region.
“This underlines the critical importance of full unification of all forces and their redeployment to provide security in all parts of the country,” he said.
In his recommendation, the Interim Chairperson asked the Transitional Government and the Parties to dialogue in a collegial manner, build consensus, provide regular updates and a way forward on elections complete the deployment of the unified forces, and commence Phase II, without further delay.
In his conclusion, he said; “Overall, it is important to underline that four years into the Transitional Period, relative progress has been made in the implementation of the Revitalized Peace Agreement. All efforts should therefore be made to consolidate the peace gains, and lay a firm foundation for lasting peace, development, and prosperity for the people of South Sudan.”
