The newly appointed members of the Reconstituted National Election Commission are set to take oath of office on Monday next week, One month after their appointment.
The national minister of Cabinet Affairs and Secretary General of the High-Level Standing Committee for Implementation of the Revitalized Agreement, Dr. Martin Elia Lomur0 sent out an in vitiation to all members to report for a swearing in Ceremony on January 8, 2024, at 10:00 AM at the Ministry of Cabinet Affairs Cabinet Meeting Hall.
On November 5, 2023, President Salva Kiir reconstituted the National Elections Commission (NEC), National Constitutional Review Commission (NCRC), and the Political Parties Council (PPC) -Bodies which are critical for the conduct of elections.
The Election Commission is composed of nine members. Kiir appointed Dr. Abednego Akol Chol as the chairperson of NEC from the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) party, deputized by Michael Nyabagayo of the South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA) and civil servant Mark Michael Deng as the Chief Electoral Officer.
Once the members are sworn-in, the commission will begin to prepare and create civic education and voters’ registration for the conduct of election.
South Sudan is expected to go for general elections on December 22, this year but the oppositions and some activists including UN bodies continued to express that the country is not ready for elections given the status of freedoms, civic and political space.
The permanent constitution, population Census, Repatriation of refugees and Internally Displaced Persons are some of the critical pending tasks the government said election can be done without due to time constrain -An attempt that many oppose.
