Machar: Constitution, census, and repatriation first, elections later
Dr. Riek Machar Teny, First Vice president of South Sudan and Opposition leader of the SPLM-IO (courtesy)
The first vice president and leader of main opposition - SPLM-IO - has maintained that his party is ready for elections but only if the conditions are met.

These include a new permanent constitutional framework; voter registration details; an election security plan; well trained, equipped, and unified security forces; and a mechanism for resolving disputes over results.

In a meeting with the United States Ambassador to South Sudan, Michael J. Adler, on Tuesday in Juba, Dr Riek Machar reiterated readiness for polls but emphasized that all the necessary prerequisites for elections must first be met.

"Which are, completing security arrangements; repatriating refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) to their areas of origin; conducting a national census to delineate and determine the boundaries of electoral constituencies; establishing a permanent constitution; and, more importantly, the availability of funds for electoral activities," outlined Machar's office on Tuesday in a statement.

Machar stressed a need for the parties to agree on the command structure and ranks of the necessary unified forces to fast-track the completion of security arrangement and expedite the process of training the second batch (Phase II).

He assured the U.S ambassador of the SPLM's (IO) commitment to fully implement the agreement in letter and spirit.

Whereas the Ambassador Michael J Adler expressed his concerns about the slow pace of progress in completing the formation and deployment of the necessary unified forces to ensure politically neutral security forces.

The US diplomat noted that the steps most necessary to the conduct of elections include opening civic space, neutral security forces, funding electoral processes, shunning violence as a tool of political competition, and committing to dialogue.

South Sudan is scheduled to hold general elections in December 2024, but the parties hold different opinions on conditions.