President Salva Kiir addressing SPLM party members after Acting SPLM - SG, Peter Lam Both took oath of office in Juba - credit |Eye Radio | Emmanuel Akile | Sept 8, 2021

President Salva Kiir has said the country has no choice but to implement and complete the transitional period and then we go for elections.

The President warned that any resumption of violence would disrupt the transitional period and extend the term of the current government.

He appealed to all stakeholders to support the peace process in anticipation of a general election at the end of the transitional period.

Already, there have been two extensions of the Pre-Transitional Period.

The provisions of the 2018 revitalized peace agreement are expected to be completed before 2023.

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

The unified army has not been graduated and deployed.

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.

Speaking during the swearing in of the SPLM new acting Secretary-General, President Kiir called on everyone to support the full implementation of the current transitional period.

“If someone wants to fight you just tell him we are in the implementation of the revitalized peace agreement, and we are left with a few months only. When we clock to 2023 we shall go for elections and there is no need to fight one another,” Kiir said.

“If we fight ourselves now, we will have to extend the transitional period and the same people will remain in the offices, and this is not a solution.”

“The only solution we have now is to implement and complete the transitional period and then we go for elections. If you want to be a President, minister or whatever position in the government, you will be voted in by the people.”

The revitalized peace agreement mandates the Transitional Government to organize elections sixty days before the end of the Transitional Period.

This is expected to enable the establishment of a democratically elected government.

The government shall first facilitate the adoption of a permanent constitution, conduct a national Population Census, and other reforms before the polls.