Kiir says elections must be conducted in 2023

JUBA – South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir Mayardit has promised visiting United Nations Security Council delegation that the country’s next elections are to be conducted in 2023 at the end of the transitional period.

This is as provided for in the revitalized peace agreement signed by the South Sudanese head of state and his first deputy Dr. Riek Machar Teny as well as various rebel groups paving way for end of the five-year-old conflict.

“The coming election is supposed to be in 2023 and I expect everybody to be ready to go for election,” Kiir told the delegation during a meeting conducted at the state-house J1 on Thursday.

“The Revitalized Peace Agreement is being implemented although being slow but we are determined to implement it through. The forces at the cantonment and training are almost completed. The forces are ready for graduation,” he added.

The revitalized peace agreement mandates the Transitional Government to organize elections sixty days before the end of the current Transitional Period.

This is expected to enable the establishment of a democratically elected government.

South Sudanese were supposed to go for polls in 2022, according to the peace deal.

But in March 2021, the office of the president said the government was not prepared to organize any elections.

The State House suggested that more time and adjusting of the timetable would be required to reorganize institutions in charge of democratic reforms.

For elections to take place, the agreement says the Political Parties Act of 2012 must be reviewed and approved by the parliament to enable free and democratic registration of political parties in South Sudan.

It also expects the permanent constitution to be enacted before a new National Elections Commission organizes the polls.

In January this year, Kiir’s office said the parties agreed to extend the Transitional Period up to 2023 to allow full implementation of critical tasks.

The peace partners are yet to complete parts of chapter one on governance, chapter two on permanent security arrangements, chapter three on special reconstruction programs, chapter four on economic reforms, and even on the establishment of a proper justice system.