Major General Charles Tai Gituai speaks at an R-JMEC meeting in Juba. |File photo.

The Interim Chairperson of the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (R-JMEC) is calling on the unity government to urgently allocate funds to the newly reconstituted electoral bodies to speed up their operationalization.

On November 3, 2023, Kiir reconstituted the National Constitutional Review Commission (NCRC), National Elections Commission (NEC) and the Political Parties’ Council (PPC).

He restructured the bodies outlined in the 2018 peace deal as prerequisite to the conduct of free, fair and credible polls in December 2024.

But the National Elections Commission has been mired in bankruptcy as its chairperson reiterated appeals to the Ministry of Finance and Planning to clear years of rent arrears, lest they are evicted.

Commenting on the matter, R-JMEC Interim Chairperson Charles Tai Gituai said it is a positive, but urgent allocation of resources is needed for the institutions.

He also called on the parliament to finalize the passage of the National Security Services Act 2014 (Amendment) Bill 2023, and other relevant bills.

“I would like to make the following recommendations to the RTGoNU: adequately resource the reconstituted Political Parties Council, the reconstituted National Constitutional Review Commission, and the reconstituted National Elections Commission to effectively discharge their mandates,” Gituai said speaking during the 33^rd R-JMEC monthly meeting in Juba on Friday.

“The reconstitution of the three institutions is a positive step, and focus should now shift to operationalization and adequate resourcing to ensure the delivery of their mandates.”

Gituai further recommended the finalization of the passage of National Security Services Act 2014 (Amendment) Bill 2023 and the National Audit Chamber Act 2011 (Amendment) Bill 2022 currently with the reconstituted TNLA.

He also appealed for the completion of the stalled unification and redeployment of forces and the establishment of the Special Reconstruction Fund and Board, among others.