![South Sudan's President Salva Kiir Mayardit (left) and then rebel leader Dr. Riek Machar Teny (right) during the initialization of the revitalized peace agreement in Khartoum, Sudan on 5 August 2018. [Photo by SUNA]](https://i0.wp.com/www.sudanspost.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/1d8b0e5c93814551bb37ccd55e89e12c.jpg?resize=2424%2C1363&quality=89&ssl=1)
Speaking to Sudans Post in Juba on Tuesday, the head of the opposition Republican People’s Party (RPP) Wol Madut Aluak Reech argued that the country needs two years to be able to make concrete preparations for a free, fair and credible elections.
“We, as the Republican People’s Party, urge the presidency to make this decision. Two years will be sufficient for every party in the country to prepare for elections. We need elections that can bring peace to South Sudan, not elections that will divide South Sudanese,” Madut said.
The republican party is not a signatory to the revitalized peace agreement and the group’s leader said an extension, which would be the third time since 2020, would pave the way for non-violent elections, allowing all political entities enough time to organize and participate fully.
The opposition leader also highlighted that his party is in the process of registering members across the states and the three Administrative Areas before officially registering with the Political Parties’ Council.
He expressed support for the ongoing Tumaini Initiative, a mediation effort aimed at integrating nonsignatory opposition groups into the 2018 revitalized peace process ahead of the elections.
“We hope that the hold-out parties will join the peace process, but an extension of the transition period is better than holding elections now. Economically, the country is not ready for elections, and even the election commission has not started voter registration,” he added.
The presidency has recently requested the National Election Commission (NEC), the Political Parties’ Council (PPC), and the National Constitution Review Commission (NCRC) to provide advice on the challenges they face in preparing for the elections, which are currently scheduled for December this year.
