⁸Juba 29th April, 2023. South Sudan’s cabinet has approved a joint taskforce for coordination and implementation of the constitutional-making process and electoral programs with the UN mission, a government official said. “This joint taskforce will be set up comprising of UNMISS [United Nations Mission in South Sudan] and the government so that we start the dissemination and implementation of the constitutional making process and electoral program,” Michael Makuei Lueth, South Sudan’s Minister of Information, told reporters dated 28th April, 2023.
Community Empowerment for Progress Organization welcomes the approval of the joint taskforce of the Government and UNMISS on the electoral and constitutional making processes. This is a long a waited action.
Mr. Edmund Yakani, Executive Director of CEPO said time required for pre-electoral stage is total running out and the political leadership of the country is slow in acting on this preparatory stage actions for the conduct of the elections by December 2024.
The ongoing delay for delivering the required tasks of the electoral preparatory stage is clear telling that the political commitment for the conduct of credible elections by December 2024 is very low and this means the electoral process will be likely not meeting the standards of credible process. Urgency for delivering the electoral preparatory stage is require now. Reconstitute the national election commission should take place before the end of the month of May, 2023 including the ratification of the National Elections Law amendments by the Revitalized National Transitional Legislative Assembly
CEPO Elections Domestic Observation initiative viewed the required time for preparing for the conduct of credible national elections by December 2024 is getting too closure.
Government should double efforts for finishing all tasks of the national elections preparatory stage by the end of June, 2023. This elections are key political milestone for either stabilizing the political situation or leads to breakout of new violence. All efforts are required to prevention further breakout of violence in South Sudan through the conduct of December 2024 elections. Mr. Yakani stressed
Finally, CEPO Elections Domestic Observation initiative is urging the government to speed up actions for delivering the electoral preparatory stage tasks which is inclusive of constitutional making process .
