Urgent correction required: Turalei spelling, Twic County misnaming, and erroneous Abyei-Twic Constituency classification
Dear Honorable Chairperson and Commissioners,
I am writing to urgently address critical mistakes in electoral records and constituency classifications that could affect voter registration, results transmission, and the overall fairness of elections in Twic County.
Immediate issues identified
1. Misspelling of Turalei The county headquarters of Twic County is incorrectly spelled “Turali” in some official NEC documents. Turalei is the main center for collecting and sending all votes from Twic County. Any spelling mistake at this stage risks misdirecting electoral materials, causing data entry errors, and creating possible disputes after the election.
2. Erroneous linking of Twic County and Abyei
Twic County is fully and legally part of Warrap State. Abyei, on the other hand, is a Special Administrative Area with a different legal and constitutional status. Including Abyei in Twic County electoral documents is constitutionally wrong, administratively misleading, and may lead to confusion about territorial jurisdiction.
3. New Error: Creation of “Abyei & Twic Constituency No. 1 – Ameth”
The recently published list of constituencies for Warrap State includes the following classification:
“Abyei & Twic Constituency No. 1 – Ameth (Agok, Alel, Rumameer, Mijak, Abyei, Aweng & Turalei)”
This classification is factually incorrect and creates administrative issues for several reasons:
- It combines Abyei, a Special Administrative Area, with Twic County, which belongs to Warrap State.
- It groups Abyei villages and Twic villages under one parliamentary constituency, contradicting established administrative boundaries.
- It exposes the electoral process to future legal challenges because the constituency does not align with the constitutional status of either region.
- It risks undermining public confidence by suggesting boundary changes that have not been legally approved.
- The Abyei Referendum mandated under the CPA has not yet taken place or been recognized by both Sudan and South Sudan. Until that process is complete, Abyei’s final status remains undetermined.
- By including Abyei in a Twic County constituency, NEC unintentionally creates a situation for territorial integration. If Abyei decides to vote in the future to join Sudan, Sudan could claim that areas in this constituency—like Turalei, Aweng, or other Twic villages—were part of Abyei’s voting area.
- This reflects past concerns about the so-called “Abyei Box,” which communities have seen as an attempt to annex parts of Twic County into Abyei. The current constituency classification risks reinforcing that belief.
This mistake needs immediate correction to avoid misrepresenting both communities and to prevent future territorial disputes.
Legal and Constitutional Basis: Transitional Constitution of South Sudan (2011, as amended):
- Article 25: Citizens’ right to political participation is based on accurate electoral administration.
- Article 9: Public institutions must ensure transparency, accountability, and accuracy.
- Articles 159 & 166: NEC must guarantee credible, error-free elections.
NEC Act and Regulations:
Require standardized, correct geographic identifiers for all polling and aggregation centers and prohibit combining legal jurisdictions that are separate. Recommended Urgent Actions
1. Correct and standardize the spelling “Turalei” in all NEC databases, documents, and communications.
2. Remove the incorrect classification “Abyei & Twic Constituency No. 1 – Ameth” and assign each area to its proper administrative jurisdiction.
3. Ensure Twic County is accurately listed as part of Warrap State, with no association with Abyei.
4. Verify all polling, aggregation, and administrative locations in Twic County for consistency and legal accuracy.
5. Issue an internal correction notice to prevent further occurrences of these errors.
These actions are crucial to prevent electoral disputes, maintain compliance with the constitution, and secure public trust. Small clerical or geographic mistakes can be exploited to question election results, jeopardizing the credibility of NEC and the stability of the Republic. I submit this notice in good faith, asking for immediate NEC action to uphold the integrity of elections in Twic County.
Sincerely,
Tito Tiel
The author is a concerned South Sudan citizen who lives in Canada. For more information, you can reach the author via titotiel@gmail.com.
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