South Sudan president, opposition leader discuss elections

South Sudan's President Salva Kiir shares a light moment with veteran opposition leader Lam Akol in Juba, August 9, 2023 (PPU)

August 9, 2023 (JUBA) – South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir and opposition leader Lam Akol met on Wednesday to discuss elections planned for 2024.

Akol was received by the Presidential Affairs minister, Barnaba Marial Benjamin.

The veteran politician, back in the country after three years in exile, called for timely conduct of the polls in compliance with the stipulations of the roadmap extending the term of the transitional government of national unity to 2024.

In August last year, South Sudan’s parties to the September 2018 peace agreement signed a roadmap extending the transitional period for additional 24 months, citing failure to complete critical benchmarks on the agreed timeframe.

Akol, who heads the National Democratic Movement (NDM), called for opening political space to allow political parties carry out activities if elections expected to be conducted by the end of the transitional period is to be free and fair.

“We thank the president for the reception and hospitality accorded to us since I came to Juba. We discussed with him the next stage, which is preparations for the general elections because we know that the peace agreement must end up with elections”, Akol told reporters in the capital, Juba.

He added: “It is our belief that it is possible to hold the elections if we speed up the implementation of the requirements that create the atmosphere for elections because our people are anxious to have elections and not extensions”.

The opposition leader called for a conducive atmosphere where all the political parties are free to propagate their programs by meeting people.

While Kiir and members of his administration are advocating for the conduct of the elections, opposition figures point to a need to ensure full and complete implementation of key provisions of the agreement. Currently, for instance, there are many pending tasks, including the unification and redeployment of the army, the establishment of the National Elections Commission (NEC), the formation of the Political Parties Council, and the enactment of a permanent constitution.

(ST)