South Sudan’s National Election Commission (NEC) says it remains ready to conduct general elections by December 2026, citing progress on key preparations, including the establishment of offices across most of the country’s states and plans to release an electoral timeline later this month.
The renewed assurance follows a Dec. 22, 2025, press conference at which NEC Chairperson Prof. Abednego Akok Kachuol announced that the upcoming polls would be conducted using the geographical constituency boundaries from the 2010 general elections.
In an exclusive interview with Radio Tamazuj on Tuesday, Prof. Akok urged the public and political parties to prepare for the vote.
“On December 22, 2025, we declared that the 2010 geographical constituencies will be used in 10 states and three administrative areas, with constituencies accounting for 60% of the seats, the women’s list 25%, the party list 15%, and two additional seats,” Akok said. “This was reached through a political decision by the parties to the 2018 agreement.”
He said the commission plans to publish a detailed electoral timeline by the end of the month.
“So where do we stand now? We are going to release the electoral timeline by the end of this month, which will begin with civic education in February, followed by voter registration,” he said.
Akok said electoral infrastructure is largely in place, with offices operating in most states.
“State High Election Committee offices have been set up across 10 states and are fully operational, with the exception of Upper Nile State, which will be completed during this dry season,” he said. “For the administrative areas, they should be given the right to form electoral administrative councils, which would require some legal amendments.”
On the legal framework governing the polls, Akok said efforts are underway to align electoral laws with current conditions in the country after some amendments had been agreed upon by the parties.
“The Ministry of Justice is working on the constitution and relevant electoral laws to ensure they are conducive to the current environment,” he said.
The NEC chairperson also dismissed concerns that logistical or financial constraints could derail the elections, saying the process would proceed if political parties demonstrate genuine commitment.
On training the electoral workforce and managing the upcoming elections, NEC Chairperson Prof. Abednego Akok Kachuol said partners, including the UNDP and the UN mission, have trained their staff, and the issue will be fully addressed.
However, critics remain unconvinced. Civil society activist Ter Manyang Gatwech said the country is not ready to hold elections, citing fragile security conditions and unresolved prerequisites. He questioned the NEC’s motives and called for dialogue between the parties to the 2018 peace agreement to take priority over voting.
“Looking at public opinion, given the current terrifying situation, no civic education or voter registration can be conducted,” Gatwech said. “War is ongoing in Jonglei and Unity states, while Upper Nile State is on the brink. Prof. Abednego should advocate for dialogue that brings political leadership to the table, not elections. Any election conducted under these conditions will not be accepted by the people of South Sudan.”
On Dec. 22, 2025, the electoral body formally announced it would rely on the 2010 constituency boundaries for the December 2026 elections, citing delays in conducting a national census.
The commission said there would be 102 national constituencies across the country’s 10 states and three administrative areas, a move it said was mandated by law after parties to the 2018 peace agreement agreed to decouple elections from a pending population count and constitutional review.
Last month, the presidency and cabinet approved amendments to key provisions of the 2018 peace agreement, delinking the December 2026 elections from the permanent constitution-making process, a national census and other institutional reforms.
The amendments also removed provisions stating that the peace agreement takes precedence over the transitional constitution.
The 2018 peace deal, signed by President Salva Kiir, opposition leader Riek Machar and other political leaders, has faced repeated delays, including missed election timelines. Elections have been postponed several times and are now scheduled for December 2026, despite objections from Machar loyalists who say presidency-led consultations excluded them.