Salva Kiir Mayardit, SPLM chairperson | Credit | Eye Radio

The Juba-based National Congress Party and has announced its intention to collaborate with the SPLM ahead of the general elections in 2023.

“We want elections to come so that it free us from all difficulties we are facing,” said Gabriel Rorich, chairperson of NCP.

In early August, President Salva Kiir affirmed his commitment to the conduct of the general elections at the end of the transitional period.

Kiir said there was an urgent need to complete all the provisions of the revitalized peace agreement before 2023.

According to the implementation matrix of the 2018 peace deal, many provisions should have been implemented by now.

But most of the ambitious reforms have not been initiated or completed.

Already, there have been two extensions of the Pre-Transitional Period before the extension of the election deadline to 2023.

Even so, for the elections to take place, the agreement stipulates that the Political Parties Act of 2012 must be reviewed and approved by the parliament to enable free and democratic registration of political parties in South Sudan.

It also expects the permanent constitution to be enacted before a new National Elections Commission organizes the polls.

In January this year, Kiir’s office said the parties had agreed to extend the Transitional Period up to 2023 to allow for full implementation of critical tasks.

Yesterday, the NCP and SPLM met and resolved to work together in partnership in preparations for the exercise.

For his part, Deng Madiing, the SPLM Secretary for Information, kesperson said:

“We think and we believe strongly that without the national congress party, we would have not got our independence. Therefore, we are revisiting our relationship and partnership and see the gray areas where we have challenges and how to transform the challenges into opportunities in terms of political work.”

But the peace partners are yet to complete parts of chapter one on governance, chapter two on permanent security arrangements, chapter three on special reconstruction programs, chapter four on economic reforms, and even on the establishment of a proper justice system.