When I heard that there are going to be general elections, it made me ask myself many questions which need many answers but before I write my article, please allow me to prepare readers reading appetite with a few questions.
Where is the money for elections?
Elections are periodic democratic exercises carried out in a country to elect leaders and renew the political social contract between the people and the government. As such, it needs millions of dollars to fund the processes, but in a country that is economically bankrupt like South Sudan, to talk of elections now is just a daydream and or a waste of time because the spring well where we draw pounds and dollars is seriously affected by the Sudanese conflict which crippled the flow of our oil to international markets. Our nonoil revenues are taxed and pocketed by few individuals, moreover, our Central Bank’s emptiness has been proved to us beyond doubt. On top of that, there is a huge debt on our shoulders because our crude oil has been sold up to 2027. On the other hand, the restrictions on political parties are another constraint to free and fair elections.
Who is going to vote while citizens are starving?
Political parties need the population to participate in elections and vote for them based on their manifestoes and popularity. Let us assume that we are approximately 12 million people in South Sudan, then we should keep in mind that half the population has migrated to other countries, and the few who are still at home are on the brink of extinction due to famine. So, now then, what is the priority? Elections or saving the people from starvation?
Where will elections take place when there is insecurity everywhere in South Sudan?
Elections need a safe and conducive environment for movement, freedom of expression, and assembly but on the contrary, what I see now is that South Sudan is engulfed by rebellions and communal conflicts. Therefore, we should first solve the problem of insecurity by bringing everlasting peace and tranquility before going for elections that may give birth to calamities.
How do you hold elections without a Permanent Constitution?
The lack of a Permanent Constitution has been part and parcel of the problems of South Sudan. The current government is guided by an Interim Constitution and does not deliver the services people need but officials only loot and enrich themselves while citizens suffer.
Will political post-holders accept elections and lose their positions?
I can see a game of political subterfuge without even putting on my eyeglasses because South Sudan government officials and politicians got their mandate and legitimacy from the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement.
Elections mean handing legitimacy to the people. In other words, those who do not represent any constituency but themselves and their respective political parties are at the risk of losing their lucrative political jobs. In this case, elections are a threat to such people. Though they say with tears in their eyes that they are for elections, it is not something they mean in their hearts and it is just political talk and there are great moves underground to sabotage the elections by many members of the different political parties. To give an example, when the SPLM Party was endorsing their presidential candidate, difficulties were experienced when some party members suggested that the presidential candidate had a running mate. This issue caused a big division with TNLA Speaker Jemma Nunu Kumba’s supporters positioning her as Kiir’s running mate while Vice President Wani Igga’s lot also waved their man as the best running mate. This happened because there was a fear of losing jobs after the upcoming elections, especially by Nunu and SPLM Party shamsharin (brokers).
Other political parties like the SPLM-IO and parties like the one of Peter Mayen and his wife Aluel Messi do not want elections because they have nothing they have nothing to say so that can convince people to vote for them in the proposed elections.
During elections, you must first and foremost tell your success stories and what you have contributed to the country in the past before promising what you intend to deliver. However, I know that the SPLM-IO, Former Detainees, Other Opposition Parties (OPP), South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA), and others have nothing to offer but a history of corruption and destruction which do not make good stories during elections.
So, the better agenda is only the postponement of elections.
Can a political party go for elections without holding party primary elections and a convention?
I am asking this because I have seen premature announcements for elections while many parties are still unregistered with the Political Parties’ Council (PPC). This prompted me to write this article to inform intellectuals and the public that the talk about the General Elections is just propaganda or political fabrications because South Sudan’s priority now is to fight hunger, contain insecurity and hostilities, and repatriate refugees among other things but not organize elections.
In conclusion, I would like to voluntarily advise His Excellency President Salva Kiir and the SPLM Party leadership together with their alliances to adjourn the election to 2026. If we insist on holding the elections, then parties who foresee failure in the elections, shall sabotage the democratization process and turn it into destruction during the elections. In our case, there will be tribal wars.
Please take my advice!
The writer is the former Secretary General of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) Youth League and can reached via wendengdit@gmail.com or WhatsApp +211923112992.
The views expressed in ‘opinion’ articles published by Radio Tamazuj are solely those of the writer. The veracity of any claims made is the responsibility of the author, not Radio Tamazuj.