DR Lam Akol speaks to reporters after meeting R-TNLA Speaker |Photo by Awan Moses| 13-02-2024

The leader of the National Democratic Movement has called for dialogue among the political parties to agree on how to approach the planned elections.

Dr. Lam Akol says elections is an inclusive process and cannot be done or obstructed by one political party.

He adds that the parties will have to make a joint decision on whether to go ahead, postpone or delay elections.

Dr. Lam spoke to reporters on Tuesday after a meeting with the Speaker of the National Legislative Assembly, Jemma Nunu Kumba in Juba.

“Our first demand from our colleagues and ourselves is to have dialogue. We as political parties must sit down and discuss how to approach the election process. Because election is an inclusive process.

“Election is something that involves all of us and therefore, it cannot be done by one party or obstructed by one party. It must be a joint decision by all of us to say we go ahead, or we postpone, or we delay.

Citing an article from the peace agreement, Dr. Lam Akol pointed out the parties have to set out how the prerequisites for elections to be implemented based on what the parties have agreed upon.

“There’s an article 8.4 in the peace agreement that was used last time in 2022 to extend the transitional period for two more years. It is the same article now we can use to shorten the period.

” Related to that, we have set out details of how the prerequisites can be implemented depending on what the parties have agreed upon,” he added.

On 9 February, the Revitalized Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (R-JMEC called on the unity government to clarify how it intends to deliver non-violent, free, fair and credible elections.

While the SPLM In Government insists the polls will be held as scheduled in the peace road map, some opposition parties have questioned the country’s readiness for such exercise, citing unimplemented electoral provisions and lack of political and civic space.

On December 14, 2023, the head of UN Mission in South Sudan said the country was not in a position to conduct free and fair elections.

Inter-communal violence in several parts of the Bahr el Ghazal region have killed since December 2023.