Gov’t told to meet deadlines as extended transitional period nears

JUBA, JANUARY 22ND 2023 (SUDANS POST) — South Sudan’s civil society watchdog, the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO), is urging the government to expedite implementation of important provisions of the revitalized peace agreement crucial for conduct of a peaceful elections.

Based on the terms of the revitalized peace agreement signed in September 2018, the parties are required to implement electoral reforms aimed at creating a conducive environment for free, fair and peaceful elections.

But due to several factors including lack of will from the peace parties, the implementation of important provisions of the deal has been lagging behind with the parties accusing each other of using delaying tactics undermining the full implementation of the agreement.

In a statement extended to Sudans Post this afternoon, the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization urged the government to meet deadlines as the transitional period provided for in the agreement ends next month before start of the extended period.

“CEPO is urging the leadership of country to urgently act on meeting the deadlines for the pathway for the conduct of fair, free, credible and peaceful elections as proposed for December 2024,” the statement said.

“The experiences of dragging feet on genuine implementation of the tasks of the R-ARCSS witnessed during the past 36 months should not be repeated in the extended 24 months,” it warned.

Edmund Yakani, the Executive Director of CEPO said that “timelines required forces the better conduct of general national elections as proposed for December 2024 begins now.”

“By the end of January 2023 if the political party’s council, national constitution review commission and national elections commissions are not reconstituted than whatever efforts the government will deploy it will not help in securing conduct of free, fair, credible and peacefully elections,” he added.

He called on the government to act by establishing political institutions linked to conduct of a free and fair elections before the world’s youngest country finally conduct its first poll since gaining independence.

“It is really essential that the government should act on the reconstitution and formation of the political institutions that have direct link for pathing pathway for conduct of proposed December 2024 national elections in fair, free, credible and peaceful manner,” Yakani said.

“Effective performance of the government in the first six months of the transitional period of extended 24 months is important,” he stressed.

CEPO further said it “will be releasing regular observatory report and press release on the process for establishment of elections commission for attainment of credible and peaceful elections.”