The long-awaited South Sudan voter registration now hangs in the balance with the electoral commission facing a significant funding shortfall, the poll agency said.
The exercise was supposed to start in June.
The commission has been allocated US$15 million in the 2023/24 budget despite requiring US$236 million.
South Sudan is yet to present its 2024/2025 budget in parliament. The transitional government has delayed its budget as it grapples with an intense economic crisis worsened by the ongoing conflict in neighbouring Sudan.
The National Elections Commission Chairperson, Prof Abednego Akok, told Radio Tamazuj Tuesday that there would be no voter registration and other pre-election activities such as civic education and gazettement of the polling centers if money is not allocated.
When asked about the funds he received earlier this year, Prof Akok said: “We bought cars and established the election offices in the states. So, voter registration will take place when we receive more funds.”
According to the National Elections Act, voter registration has to begin six months before the General Election. Voter and civic education were yet to begin in the 10 states and the administrative areas.
However, Prof. Abednego said it was still possible to amend the law and that voter registration could be done 3 to 4 months before the elections in December.
“The Commission can register voters within a short period. We have opened seven offices in the states but Jonglei, Unity and Upper Nile states need new offices. For the three administrative areas, we are still working on it and we have asked them to nominate for us some people,” he said.
On the training of the commission’s staff, Prof Akok said: “We started to train our staff in the states and we are planning to organize another training on August 20 with support from the United Nations.”
The NEC chief said he plans to engage the Presidency and the relevant institutions on financing the Commission so that it can organize the elections as planned.
“The parties do not have other options apart from elections. The 2018 Peace Agreement says elections should take place two months before the end of the transitional period,” he said.
“If we get the resources now, we can do the registration of voters and other things.”
South Sudan has not held an election since it gained independence from Sudan in July 2011 and the country is plagued by violence, poverty and political disputes.
The polls are scheduled to take place this year, despite objections from several quarters, including the opposition SPLM-IO led by First Vice President Riek Machar. On July 5, the National Election Commission announced the December 22 election date.