The Political Parties Council in South Sudan has acquired a new five-storey building in Juba as its new headquarters.
The new office building is located at Hai Malakal.
Speaking to the media on Wednesday, the Chairperson of the Political Parties Council, James Akol Zakayo, confirmed that the institution has finally acquired a new building, number 18A, opposite the Save the Children offices.
“It is the first of its kind for the Council to own a building. When the Council was founded, we were renting; we never had our own building,” he said.
“We used to be evicted from place to place. So, with the recent development, we decided to have a permanent place since we are transitioning to democracy. We need to have a nice working environment,” he added.
According to Zakayo, they acquired the new five-storey building with support from the government.
Preparations are currently underway for the inauguration of the new office headquarters by President Salva Kiir on 9 July.
The acquisition of the Council’s new headquarters comes as the country prepares to hold general elections in December this year.
According to the Political Parties Act, 2012 (Amendment) Act, 2023, the Political Parties Council shall among other things, register, monitor, regulate, and de-register political parties.
The other functions of the Council are to issue certificates of registration to political parties, indicate in the register that changes have taken place within a political party, maintain records of registered political parties, and administer the Political Parties Fund.
The Council also investigates and determines complaints received under the Political Parties Act, ensures the publication of audited annual accounts of political parties, prepares the annual budget proposal for the Council, and submits it to the National Council of Ministers for consideration and approval by the Transitional National Legislative Assembly.
The Council also observes the conduct of political parties’ primary elections and carries out any other function as may be prescribed by the Act or any other applicable law.