FILE: Gabriel Deng, Deputy Chairperson of the National Election Commission - Courtesy of the Office of the President, January 8, 2024.

The National Elections Commission (NEC) has stated that voter registration and constituency delimitation can only move forward after the completion of the upcoming census, expected to conclude within 17 months following its extension, while also urging the need for critical political decisions.

Gabriel Deng, Deputy Chairperson of the NEC, made this statement during the launch of the National Elections Commission website on Wednesday, December 11, in Juba.

He called on the unity government to quickly decide on the fate of the population census, which is essential for initiating voter registration, a critical step toward the 2026 elections.

Highlighting the urgency of the matter, Deng pointed out that the census and other prerequisites for the elections will take up to 17 months. Without swift political decisions, he warned, the preparations for the elections could be undermined.

Speaking about the challenges ahead, Deng said, “One priority area is to engage the government on necessary political decisions. One example is a decision on the population data.”

“For us to start voter registration and also the delimitation of consultancy, we need population data [census],” he stated.

He explained that to begin voter registration and constituency delimitation, accurate population data is essential. “We need a key decision on that in order to conduct an election in 2026,” Deng stated.

Deng also acknowledged that a census is planned, but noted that, according to the extension document, both the census and constitutional processes will take up to 17 months to complete.

He stressed that without timely political decisions, these challenges could delay the electoral process. “Therefore, there’s a need for political decisions to address those challenges,” Deng concluded.