CEPO leader Edmund Yakani meets Vice President Taban Deng Gai in Juba. January 26, 2024. (-)

Activist Edmund Yakani said on Sunday he agreed with Vice President Taban Deng Gai on the need for consensus meeting among the peace parties to ensure the 2024 election goes as planned.

Yakani, the Executive Director of Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) met the vice president for infrastructure cluster days after holding a similar meeting with President Kiir.

Yakani said he is lobbying for a political leadership commitment for the conduct of the upcoming election in time.

The activist also said the leaders must ensure that if the country is to go for elections, the required prerequisites for the conduct of elections in December 2024 must be in place.

He also suggested that the peace parties meet and make compromises on critical provisions that the government is unable to realize before elections.

In a press statement, Yakani stated that he concurred with the vice president on the need for consensus meeting among the principles on the prospect of elections.

“We have reached a consensus that they really need to meet and make political decisions on some of these contentious issues as time is running out,” he said.

“But we also have discussed the issue of adequate and timely funding of the transitional political institutions namely the National Elections Commission, the National Constitutional Review Commission, Political Parties Council.”

“Also, the reality is that we need to go to elections with one army, one commander-in-chief. So, the unification of forces is something that is essential and need to be delivered before the conduct of elections.”

The activist is also urging religious leaders to step in and play a role in the democratic process.

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

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

While the SPLM In Government insists the polls will be held as scheduled in the peace road map, some opposition parties have questioned the country’s readiness for such exercise, citing unimplemented electoral provisions and lack of political and civic space.

On December 14, 2023, the head of UN Mission in South Sudan said the country is currently not in a position to conduct free and fair elections.