CEPO Director Edmund Yakani | Photo: Awan Moses/Eye Radio

A civil society activist on Monday called on the presidency to reconstitute electoral bodies, which are pending despite a governance cluster announcement that President Salva Kiir was going to form the bodies the moment he returns from the September UN General Assembly.

Cabinet Affairs Minister Dr. Martin Elia Lomuro said last month that the Political Parties Council, National Elections Commissions, and Constitutional Review Commissions would immediately be reconstituted when Kiir returns from the United States.

The three bodies are key to preparing the country for the general elections scheduled for December 2024.

Dr Elia had also said that the government already formed a joint Tripartite Taskforce to help the country with the process of writing the constitution and preparing for elections.

The taskforce, Lomuro said, comprised officials of the transitional government, African Union, the regional bloc IGAD, and the United Nations.

First Vice President Dr Riak Machar affirmed the progress made adding that names were provided for the establishment of the mechanisms and was only waiting for the return of the President.

But it’s about month now since the president returned from the New York and there is no update on the issue.

Reacting to the delay, Edmund Yakani – the Executive Director of Community Empowerment for Progress Organization said they are yet to witness any positive move towards the reconstitution of the two commissions and the Political Parties’ Council.

He is now appealing to the president to reconstitute the institutions which he said are essential to create a pathway for credible, free and fair elections.

“I would like to take this opportunity to call upon His Excellency the President and the members of the Presidency that the reconstitution of the national election commission and the political parties council are essential to create a pathway for credible, free and fair elections,” he said in an interview with Eye Radio.

“We have got a national leadership promise that after the return of His Excellency from New York from the UNGA, the reconstitution of the national election commission and the political parties council will take place, until today we have not seen any positive move towards the reconstitution of the national election commission, political party’s council and the national constitution review commission.”

“We are appealing to you as our leaders, listen to our voices, time is running out, please take responsibility, show the nation that you occupy political seats at the national level, at highest level for the best interest of this country and for the best interest of the citizens.”

South Sudan is expected to hold its first general elections in December 2024, as agreed upon by parties to the revitalized peace agreement, after they extended the transitional period for 24-months in August 2022.

The roadmap has scheduled the general elections to a period of two months before the end of the extended transitional period by 22nd February 2025.

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

However, for elections to take place, the agreement said the National Election Commission, Political Parties Council and the National Constitution Review commission shall first be reconstituted.