Civil society activist Edmund Yakani has raised concerns over delays in government funding to the National Elections Commission (NEC), warning that the situation could jeopardize preparations for South Sudan’s planned December 2026 elections.
Yakani, Executive Director of the Community Empowerment for
Progress Organisation (CEPO), said repeated presidential directives to the
Ministry of Finance and Planning to fund the NEC have not been fully
implemented, leaving the electoral body financially constrained.
“As we have observed multiple times, President has directed
the Ministry of Finance to channel resources to the National Elections
Commission for it to fund its activities for preparing citizens to hold
elections in December 2026. None of those directives have yielded a positive
result,” Yakani said.
He warned that the failure to release adequate and timely
funding is undermining critical preparations, including voter education, voter
registration, and the establishment of electoral infrastructure across the
country.
According to CEPO’s pre-election assessments, the National
Elections Commission has received only a small fraction of its required budget,
with reports indicating that as little as 4 to 6 percent of requested funds has
been disbursed so far.
Yakani said this level of funding is insufficient for the
NEC to carry out its constitutional mandate.
“The National Elections Commission has repeatedly requested
funding, yet resources are being allocated to other priorities. This is deeply
concerning,” he added.
He further warned that without urgent financial support and
political commitment, the country risks failing to meet its election timetable.
Yakani also appealed to national leaders to prioritize
elections in national spending decisions, emphasizing that credible elections
require both legal readiness and sufficient financial support.
He urged the government to ensure that directives on
electoral funding are implemented without delay, warning that continued delays
could undermine public confidence in the electoral process and the broader
political transition.
South Sudan is scheduled to hold its general elections in
December 2026 as part of the Revitalized Peace Agreement transition framework.