With less than a year to go before the scheduled general elections in South Sudan slated for December 2024, some residents of Bor Town in Jonglei State have expressed doubt about the feasibility and eventual credibility of the polls.
They say they have not seen any signs of preparations for the elections or political campaigns.
A cross-section of Bor inhabitants sounded out by Radio Tamazuj stated that they are not confident that the elections will be free, fair, and peaceful given the lack of civic education, prevailing insecurity, and poor infrastructure in the country.
Daniel Nyak Ngang says he has not heard anything from the government or the opposition parties about the upcoming polls.
“I even do not know whether I will vote if there will be elections because when the elections are to be held, we the electorate are supposed to familiarize ourselves with the politicians or aspirants so that we can even see or hear their manifesto,” he states. “At the moment, I even do not know who is going to vie for the presidency, gubernatorial positions, parliament, and mayoral post.”
Nyak adds: “I do not know so I am not ready for the elections.”
Another Bor local, Amuor Kuol Alier, said she is worried that the elections will be rigged or delayed again because the signatories to the 2018 revitalized peace agreement have not yet implemented the key provisions of the deal like the security arrangements, the number and boundaries of states, and the transitional justice mechanisms. She said because of these delays she is not ready to vote.
“We are not ready for elections and we are not even aware that there are going to be elections this or next year because we are not even hearing about it on the radio,” she explains. “We are not hearing about it on the streets and we are not seeing signposts or posters about elections.”
Amuor says she is apprehensive and fears that the elections will trigger more violence and instability in the country which has been struggling to implement the 2018 peace agreement that ended a six-year civil war.
“We are even scared of the General Elections because they always come with violence,” she adds.
Meanwhile, Wany Bum, the Interim Secretary General of the Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA) in Jonglei state, one of the parties that signed the 2018 peace agreement, said his party is ready and prepared to contest in the polls at all levels. He however said he doubts the government’s commitment to hold them on time.
“At the state level under the leadership of Jonglei State Governor Denay Jock Chagor, the chairman of SSOA in the state, we are more than ready and waiting for the December 2024 elections,” he excitedly declares. “We have even informed our constituents in Greater Jonglei and other parts of the country. As it has been declared by the president, we are supporting the call for the elections.”
Bum however states that his political grouping is concerned about the lack of funding and logistical support for the elections and believes chances of intimidation and electoral fraud will be high.
“Although we are having challenges as the country financially, the election is a priority and has to be financed because it is the only exercise that will bail South Sudanese out of the crises,” he adds.
For his part, Bol Deng Bol, the Executive Director of Intrepid South Sudan, a civil society organization based in Bor, echoed the concerns of the residents and said the National Election Commission (NEC) is not doing enough to prepare the people for the polls.
“Like any other state, election preparedness in Jonglei State depends so much on the readiness of the NEC. When you look around in the state capital Bor town, or the counties right now, you see only the training of the youth league of the SPLM Party and rallies like the recent one in Twic East to endorse President Salva Kiir. These are the only things that you see that tell that there is preparation for elections,” he elucidated. “But preparation for elections is determined by the National Elections Commission, and as we speak, they do not even have a branch that is active in the state.”
Bol urged the NEC to be transparent and accountable in its work and to involve all the relevant actors in the electoral process. He also called on the government and the opposition to respect the will of the people and to refrain from any actions that may undermine the elections or the peace agreement.
According to Bol, his organization is conducting civic education and voter mobilization campaigns in Jonglei and other states, to raise awareness and to encourage participation in the upcoming polls.
The elections, which were supposed to take place in 2015, have been repeatedly postponed due to the civil war, the formation of the unity government, and the coronavirus pandemic.
The NEC recently announced that the elections will be held in December 2024 but has not yet released the schedules for voter registration, nominations, and campaign periods and guidelines.
The head of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), Nicholas Haysom, recently warned that South Sudan is not in a position to hold free, fair, or secure elections unless it meets some key conditions by April 2024.