Rights group Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) has said a premature campaign by political actors is a major cause of public mistrust in the elections process.
On Tuesday, CEPO released a Domestic Elections Watch report indicating that the public doesn’t trust the election process, despite continued agitation for the elections to be held on schedule.
Addressing a news conference at CEPO`s offices in Juba, Edmund Yakani, Executive Director for CEPO said, “The public mistrust and lack of confidence on the conduct of a timely and credible elections is very high although the public are demanding for elections as scheduled.”
He said political actors across the country are already engaged in premature elections campaigns and political mobilization toward the December 2024 elections.
Yakani said CEPO`s domestic observation focuses on actions associated with the forthcoming national elections for December 2024.
He said the findings demonstrate serious concerns centered on emerging political attitudes and culture that may undermine the spirit of free, fair, credible, safe and peaceful elections.
“Among the key findings are contradictory messaging from the political party’ leaders and their supporters; Political party control of civic space, abusive of social media for fueling and early sentiments on undermining the credibility, difficulties of gaining meaningful inclusive elections and political leadership delay of timely decisions,” Yakani said.
He urged political parties to be careful of acts of early politicization of the functions of or party interference with the National Elections Commission.
“All these key domestic observation findings among others identified requires political acceptance for urgent political decisions,” he said.
The activist said their domestic elections observations are generated through tracking political leadership, political parties and citizens’ messages associated with the electoral process.
He said media publications on electoral related actions and decisions were included in compiling evidences for informing CEPO’s domestic elections observation.
Yakani urged the National Elections Commission to avoid political party inference in administering the affairs of the commission and vice versa.
The act of early politicization of NEC by parties, he said, is dangerous and will undermine credibility on the elections team.
Yakani said the leadership of the commission should sincerely and honestly commit to observe the principles of impartiality, non-partisanship and remain independent.
However, he argued that political decisions are required on issues associated with the creation of a condusive environment for the conduct of the elections.
“Without proper political leadership and consensus for the conduct of the elections, chances of having violent elections especially at states level is higher,” he noted.
Yakani called on the political leadership to act urgently on allocating adequate funds to the poll body, Political Parties Council (PPC) and National Constitutional Review Commission (NCRC) noting that inadequate or low financing of the electoral process will create moment for undermining the credibility and reliability of the process.
He also said delaying operationalization of the National Elections Commission may affect preparation for the conduct of the polls.
The activist noted that the first domestic elections observation report offers an opportunity of eye opener for the political leadership of the country, political parties and the citizens on the probabilities surrounding the elections.
“Sincerely and serious commitment is required from the political leadership. The political parties take timely and genuine political decisions for meeting the schedule of December 2024 intended for holding credible, free, fair and peaceful elections,” Yakani said.
Nine National Electoral Commission officials were on Monday sworn in at the Office of the President in Juba. The formation of the poll body, is a prerequisite stage in preparations toward the country’s quest to hold a general election at the end of the transition period in December this year.
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