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

Some parties to the revitalized peace agreement have proposed conducting partial elections in December 2024, according to the chairperson of the National Elections Commission.

Prof. Abednego Akok said the proposal would only allow for the election of the President, governors of the ten states, and chiefs of the three administrative areas.

He further stated that after this, a population census will be conducted to establish the constituencies for parliamentary elections at both national and state levels.

However, Akok said the proposal is yet to be official or adopted.

“There are a lot of plans going on with the political leaders. There is a partial election and there is an election of 3, 2, or 4 institutions that is from the legislature to the state, and then the executive from the president to the governor,” said Prof. Abednego.

“Now what has been discussed by those who are concerned, is they want us to conduct partial elections for those competing for the presidency and governor, this is what is being proposed by the political leaders,’ he said.

“If they propose this, then the issue of the census will be delayed for a while.

“The state parliament and the national parliament will exist until we finish these two institutions I just told you, after that we plan now for a census.”

South Sudan is expected to hold its first general elections later this year, as agreed upon by parties to the revitalized peace agreement, after they extended the transitional period for 24 months in August 2022.

The poll’s outcome would signal an end to the transitional period after the establishment of a democratically elected government.