Professor Abednego Akok, the Chairperson of the National Elections Commission speaks to Eye Radio. (Photo: Awan Moses/Eye Radio).

The chairperson of the National Elections Commission says the body is still facing a challenge to clear the rent arrears.

Professor Abednego Akok said despite clearing some of the debts, the landlord still demands some money from the commission.

Speaking to Eye Radio on Thursday, Professor Akok said the commission still finds it difficult to clear all the arrears.

“Some of it has been cleared and some of it is still not cleared, and the landlord even wanted us to go to the court, because they wanted to be paid using hard currency, which was the first agreement they did with IFES,” he said.

The International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) is a US organization supporting the National Elections Commission since independence.

But it reportedly abandoned the commission, leaving it in the hands of the South Sudan government.

“So this is what we are in now and it is one of the main challenges. If we have our own plot, we can move there if there is assistance.”

He did not mention how much was paid by the commission or the remaining balance.

However, in February last year, Akok appealed to the Ministry of Finance and Planning to clear a three-year rent arrears before they are kicked out of their rented offices.

He said the commission owed a landlord over 540,000 US dollars in rent for three years.