Ochaya James, the Executive Director of the National Press Club at the University of Juba, has underscored South Sudan’s advancements in female representation in public affairs compared to Liberia. With a notable 35% quota for women in public roles, South Sudan aims to embed this provision in its constitution. Reflecting on their observations in Liberia where his team was observing elections in the West African country, where female involvement lagged, Ochaya stressed the imperative of empowering South Sudanese women for robust engagement in the forthcoming elections.

“I was part of a group of South Sudanese who visited Monrovia, the capital of Liberia in West Africa. Our group included members of parliament, representatives from political parties, the judiciary, and media personnel. South Sudan and Liberia share many similarities. Both countries have endured civil wars and signed peace agreements between the government and opposition forces, leading to transitional periods. Following their transitions, they successfully held national elections and formed governments,” Ochaya said in an interview on Radio Tamazuj’s Road to Elections Programme.

He highlighted Liberia’s recent peaceful and successful election, contrasting it with violence in other African nations like Kenya in 2020. Disputes were resolved legally, showcasing the effectiveness of Liberia’s electoral process.

Ochaya emphasized that this drove the South Sudanese delegation’s visit to Liberia - to learn from their electoral practices. They sought insights into orchestrating peaceful elections, managing the process, and ensuring acceptance of results by losing parties.

During interactions with the electoral commission, they noted its commitment to a credible and fair election, earning recognition for independence and impartiality across Liberian society. This demonstrated their dedication to transparent elections.

Describing his group’s interactions with Liberian government officials, Ochaya explained, “We were pleased to meet with the Minister of Justice. In Liberia, all security institutions, including the police and national security, fall under the Ministry of Justice, unlike in South Sudan where we have separate ministries for justice, security, and interior.”

“This group played a crucial role in ensuring the election process remained peaceful. They thwarted attempts by some political parties to bring in voters from outside, standing firm against any form of fraud,” he stated.

Explaining what the group learned from Liberia’s experiences in civic and voter education, Ochaya said, “The election process is a responsibility shared by all citizens to understand, enabling them to choose leaders and receive services. Liberian citizens expressed a strong desire for peace, tired of conflict and yearning for stability. They emphasized the importance of inclusive elections, urging participation from all sectors, including youth, women, and civil society.”

“They encouraged effective and equal participation from all groups throughout the process, from voter registration to electoral campaigns and voting, without obstacles. They also shared instances of attempted fraud by some political parties, such as registering voters multiple times to inflate their vote counts. Fortunately, Liberia’s electoral commission had a biometric voter registration system, preventing fraud. Those who attempted fraud were apprehended and jailed,” he added.

Reflecting on their Liberia visit, Ochaya noted that their diverse delegation aimed to apply lessons learned to South Sudan’s upcoming elections. They plan to engage with election commission and political party officials, including some who were part of their group, recognizing their crucial role. Additionally, they intend to involve the constitutional commission, sharing insights from Liberia to better prepare for the elections.

Regarding South Sudan's election preparations, he explained, “South Sudan is going through a lot of activities leading to elections. Up to this moment, South Sudanese do not know if the election is going to take place in December or not. The only entity that is entitled to educate citizens is the national elections commission. They have the mandate to issue the schedule for the activities of the election in the country. Up to now, citizens are not aware if the election will be conducted in December or not. They don’t have any concrete information about the process.”

He added, “There was a statement made by President Kiir that the country is going for an election. But till this moment citizens have not heard from other political parties and yet they are signatories to the peace agreement in 2028 that laid the basic foundation for this election. They also have an opinion to tell citizens if they should participate in the election or not. I believe that this is going to be the first election in the country so citizens need to get educated well.”

Regarding their interaction with Liberian civil society organizations, he stated, “We also met with members of the Liberian civil society organization, and they shared with us their role in civic education during the electoral process. They educated citizens on how they can vote correctly. This is a big role that civil societies can play.”

Ochaya explained that they aim to collaborate with the National Elections Commission to provide citizens with accurate information on voting registration and the voting process. He emphasized that not everyone is eligible to participate, citing electoral law stating that only individuals aged 18 and above can vote.

He stressed the importance of imparting this fundamental information to citizens and expressed readiness to assist in this aspect. Additionally, Ochaya mentioned ongoing meetings with other relevant offices involved in the electoral process. He highlighted the importance of initiating civic education and sharing the lessons learned. However, he noted that not all experiences from Liberia can be directly applied to South Sudan due to differences in geographical locations.

Explaining South Sudan’s progress in women’s participation in public life compared to Liberia, Ochaya emphasized, “Our experience of women’s participation in public life is far better than Liberia’s. Currently, we have a 35% quota allocated for women in public life, and there is an agenda to push for this quota to be enshrined in the country’s constitution.”

“In Liberia, we observed that women’s participation was not significant; most participants were men. This is a lesson we learned. It’s crucial to encourage our women to fully engage and participate in South Sudan’s processes so they understand their rights and what’s happening in the country. South Sudanese women have a significant role to play in the upcoming election,” he added.

Ochaya emphasized that despite initial hesitations, women should engage in politics to understand their rights and collaborate with citizens. He highlighted women’s pivotal role in politics, currently holding 35% of positions in various sectors, urging them to join political parties and participate in elections.