CEPO Director Edmund Yakani | Photo: Awan Moses/Eye Radio.

A civil society activist has welcomed the National Elections Commission’s (NEC) decision to use the 2010 geographical constituencies for South Sudan’s upcoming general elections.

On Monday, the NEC announced that it will rely on the 2010 constituency boundaries for the December 2026 polls. The move follows an agreement by parties to the Revitalized Peace Agreement to delay a national population census ahead of the elections.

NEC Chairperson Professor Abednego Akok said the decision is guided by the National Elections Commission Act of 2012, as amended in 2023, which allows the commission to revert to the 2010 constituency arrangements in the absence of a new census.

Activist Edmund Yakani, head of the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO), welcomed the announcement, saying it aligns with the National Elections Act.

“It is a requirement of the law in circumstances where the government has failed to conduct a population census for the delimitation of new geographical constituencies,” he said.

Yakani also called on the unity government to fully fund the elections commission to enable it to carry out its mandate effectively.

“The National Elections Commission has the prerogative to declare the use of the 2010 geographical constituencies for these elections. The implication is that the size of parliament will be reduced from 332 seats to 204 seats, as per the commission’s pronouncement dated 22 December 2025. This means the current parliament will lose 128 seats following the declared electoral arrangements for the December 2026 elections,” he added.

However, Yakani cautioned that the elections could take place amid rising insecurity, stalled implementation of the peace agreement, and worsening economic hardship. He stressed the need for inclusive dialogue among political leaders.

He further noted that the declaration of the constituencies will result in a reduction of parliament members to 204.