Information Minister Michael Makuei speaking to reporters after the council of Ministers meeting chaired by President Salva Kiir on Friday, 6th Oct 2023. (Photo: Charles Wote/Eye Radio).

Elections in South Sudan can be held with or without full implementation of the 2018 peace deal, said the National Minister of Information – arguing that the 2005 Nairobi signed Comprehensive Peace Agreement was not fully implemented.

Michael Makuei said some of the key provisions as prerequisites for the conduct of elections have already been reconstituted or implemented.

These, according to him, include the restructuring of the Political Parties Council and the National Elections Commission, and Constitutional Review Commissions.

Minister Makuei said the reconstituted institutions are the most important institutions for elections, and the rest can be implemented later.

He said some provisions of the peace deal can be ignored and implemented after the conduct of general elections.

“If we don’t go for elections, the international community and the people of South Sudan will stone us,” Makuei said during the 23rd R-JMEC meeting in Juba.

Makuei claims that those who are afraid to go for general elections are the one advocating for the full implementation of all provisions of the IGAD mediated peace process.

“They are telling us that we are not going for elections, because if you can talk of population census, which is not a necessity for elections, because there could be other ways of running the elections without the population census.”

“Those who say that we should wait up to the time when we implement all the provisions of the agreement are saying no elections, we are not going for elections.”

“And for your information there is no agreement in the world where you say this agreement must be implemented 100% after which I will move forward.”

“Even the CPA which brought the independence of South Sudan there are some provisions up to now still outstanding. Some of these provisions [in R-ARCSS] we ignore them and move forward with them, you carry them forward.”

South Sudan is expected to hold general elections in December 2024 – in what could be the first public decision after the country’s 13 years of independence.

However, in recent months, some parties said elections cannot be held without implementation of vital peace provisions including security arrangement and ensuring equal political and civic space for all parties.