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The Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO)is calling on human rights defenders, activists, civil society, and other citizens to be nationalists for democracy to prevail in south Sudan.
Edmund Yakani, Executive Director of CEPO expressed his concerns during a strategic dialogue to commemorate the international day for democracy centered on the critical role of the government and civil society in advancing a democratic society.
Human Rights groups gathered in Juba to commemorate the day on Thursday.
Yakani says South Sudanese need to change their attitude by accommodating and compromising each other regardless of the challenges faced to exercise democracy.
“The concept of us being nationalists for the nation is a key principle for us to make a democracy in this country and being nationalist means, you need to accommodate others,” he explained.
The Activist echoed that willing of the people could prevail once the citizens stand for the country, and defend the constitution regardless of ethnicity.
He criticizes people who are discriminating against their countrymen on basis of their tribe.
“Democracy prevails where people are nationalists and they stand for the nation and they have the full courage of tolerating, accommodating, and compromising with others and making sure that they don’t use any principle that may entertain discrimination of any form to determine a public decision.”
The Activist added that South Sudan lacks political discipline after seeing political parties splitting into two or more parties which makes it hard to build a democratic state.
“Political discipline is a key foundation for laying democracy in any country. “He added.
He urged activists, civil society, and human rights defenders to challenge the practice of political indiscipline to build a democratic state with merits.
In 2007 the United Nations General Assembly resolved to observe 15 September as the International Day of Democracy with the purpose of promoting and upholding the principles of democracy.