South Sudan President Salva Kiir Mayardit has called on the parties to the 2018 revitalized peace agreement to continue dialoguing about the conduct of the general elections in December 2024 and prepare for the same.

Speaking during the reopening of the Transitional National Legislative Assembly (TNLA) on Wednesday, the president said the country needs to go for elections so that leaders are not seen to be clinging to power through several extensions of the transitional period.

“I urge the signatories to the revitalized peace agreement to dialogue on the conduct of the elections in December 2024. We should not be seen as clinking to power by extending our tenure again,” Kiir stated. “Let the parties engage in a continuous dialog to agree on holding the elections as scheduled.”

He also pressed the TNLA to pass the pending bills stipulated in the peace agreement and those necessary for the conduct of elections.

“The August House should work tirelessly to pass some of the necessary laws that are still pending,” he directed.

President Kiir further called on citizens to also prepare for the elections.

“I request our South Sudanese citizens to prepare for the upcoming elections in December 2024,” he said.

Responding to the president's call for preparations for the elections, TNLA Speaker Jemma Nunu Kumba pledged the House’s commitment to supporting the conduct of timely elections.

“I am convinced that all the Members of Parliament in the National Legislature, irrespective of their political affiliations, pledge to play a positive and constructive role, alongside the executive arm of our government, to prepare our citizens to fully participate in the conduct of the elections,” she said. “It is incumbent upon us, as integral components of the parties to the revitalized peace agreement, to reassure our people that the elections shall be peaceful, free and fair, and devoid of all violent episodes.”

Speaker Kumba reassured the president of parliament’s commitment to pass the pending legislation.

“The National Legislature also pledges to redouble efforts to ensure that all remaining legislative work required before the elections will be completed timely and the constitution-making process will be as participatory,” she reassured.

Kiir, in his opening speech, talked about several issues affecting the country, including the need to address the current economic crisis through investing in agriculture.

Meanwhile, the Center for Peace and Advocacy (CPA), an NGO dedicated to promoting human rights, advocacy, transitional justice, institutional reforms, gender justice, and good governance development in South Sudan through citizen’s participation in governance and decision-making processes, on Wednesday urged the TNLA to address the economic crisis that is affecting the entire country.

In a press statement extended to Radio Tamazuj, CPA said the economic crisis is due to mismanagement of resources and a lack of accountability and transparency.

“The article highlights the impact of this crisis on families, with some going to bed with empty stomachs. This poses a national security threat. Articles 1 and 2 of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) emphasize the importance of eradicating poverty, providing access to basic human needs such as health, education, and sanitation, and ensuring zero hunger through food provision and humanitarian relief,” the statement read. “Currently, citizens are living in a state of confusion as no one is addressing the ongoing economic crisis in the country. Ironically, the government expects support from these citizens during elections when they struggle to afford basic needs.”

“The Sustainable Development Goals are a blueprint for achieving a better and more sustainable future for all. They address global challenges such as poverty, inequality, climate change, environmental degradation, peace, and justice. These 17 goals are interconnected, and to ensure that no one is left behind, we must achieve all of them by 2030," the CPA statement added.