JUBA — The South Sudan Election Commission on Thursday appealed for financial resources to facilitate the conduct of free, credible, and democratic elections slated for December 2026.
Speaking during the opening of a one-day roundtable dialogue in Juba on Thursday, Amos Juma, a commissioner at the National Election Commission, emphasized the necessity for funding to support the upcoming elections.
“We need to continue engagement with civil society, political parties, and all those who have a stake in the elections. The National Election Commission should expedite the dissemination of the civic and voter education strategy document to concerned stakeholders so that they can begin raising awareness about the elections,” Juma said.
For his part, the Executive Director of the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO), Edmund Yakani, reiterated that funding constraints have delayed the full implementation of essential tasks related to the upcoming elections.
“Recent political developments in the country, including the undermining of the unification of forces, the lack of financing for the constitution-making process, and the unclear status of the population census, are all contributing to the delays in conducting elections,” Yakani said.
Yakani stated that President Salva Kiir Mayardit has come to an agreement with the National Election Commission to hold free, fair, and credible elections, which are scheduled for December 2026.
“We are actually behind schedule, and preparations are not yet in place; they are below 50 percent. If the political leadership does not make timely disbursements of cash for the preparation of elections, we will face significant challenges,” he warned.
“The National Election Commission has demonstrated that they have materials for civic education and voter education, and they are also ready to carry out voter registration, but the constraint is that they do not have the resources in place to deliver their tasks.”
South Sudan has projected a total of $2 million for the electoral process. The government is anticipated to contribute 15% of the total funds required.
