Kiir’s party to decide on conduct of elections in December

JUBA – South Sudan’s ruling Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM-IG), led by President Salva Kiir Mayardit, will determine in an upcoming meeting whether the country will proceed with elections scheduled for December this year, a senior government official disclosed.

The country’s Information Minister, Michael Makuei Lueth, also a senior member of the ruling party, informed journalists yesterday that while the government advocates for elections by the year’s end, the decision lies with the individual parties, and that the ruling party will convene to deliberate on the matter.

“Our position is unequivocal: the Government of South Sudan aims to proceed with elections as delineated in the roadmap,” Makuei asserted to journalists following a cabinet meeting chaired by Kiir in Juba on Friday.

“Nevertheless, any decision to refrain from elections will be deliberated upon in the forthcoming party meeting. Ultimately, it is the prerogative of each party to exercise their constitutional rights, and it is not our role to question their choices,” he added.

These statements from the senior government official and ruling party member come amidst demands from prominent opposition groups, such as the main armed opposition Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO), led by First Vice President Riek Machar Teny, for consensus on elections.

The SPLM-IO contends that South Sudan is ill-prepared for elections and warns that premature elections could reignite violence, citing the incomplete deployment of unified forces stipulated in the revitalized peace agreement.

Kiir’s party asserts that the country cannot afford further delay and advocates for conducting elections in December of this year, utilizing population data from the contentious 2010 census, which was disputed by the ruling party and the defunct government of South Sudan.