No political legitimacy for Kiir, Machar beyond December 2024 – activist  

JUBA, JULY 10, 2023 (SUDANS POST) – South Sudan’s prominent activist Edmund Yakani has called for conduct of elections as stipulated for in the peace roadmap signed by the parties to extend the transitional in August 2022, saying President Salva Kiir and his first deputy Riek Machar will have no legitimacy beyond 2024.

Earlier today, a senior member of the ruling Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) faction under Kiir said that the party is in internal discussions, and will possibility propose a postponement of elections for at least or four months to enable the parties to tailor down some of the issues he said will still be pending by December 2024.

But Yakani who is also the Executive Director of Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) said in a statement extended to Sudans Post that the civil society organization stands for conduct of elections at the end of transitional period in 2024 and will campaign against any extension if proposed by the parties.

“CEPO strongly stands for conduct of elections in December 2024 if the essential preconditions are met within the period before the casting of vote. The president said several times that there would be no more extensions of the transitional period and that his government is committed to the conduct of transparent, credible, free, and fair election,” he said.

“This repeated statement from the president is very good if it is fully respected and honored with demonstration of political commitment for making the preconditions for creating conducive environment for the conduct of elections in December 2024 so that the people of South Sudan can chose a president of their choice,” he added.

Yakani further warned the parties that any attempt by the parties to extend the transitional period beyond the provided deadline will strip them of the political legitimacy given by the revitalized peace agreement, saying the best option for the government is for it to implement the agreement and conduct elections in December 2024.

“Any failure to meet the agreed upon deadline for the conduct of elections by development 2024 offers great chance is loss of political legitimacy for the current incumbent government. The best option at hand for the incumbent government is to conduct elections as Scheduled without any postponement,” Yakani said.

“Any attempt for the postponement will make the leaders in the incumbent government lost public trust and confidence due to lack of political legitimacy after December 2024 and so it is time now to establish national stakeholders’ platform for gaining of national consensus for the conduct of credible, free, fair and peaceful elections,” he added.