By: Paride Wani Moses
The Eastern Equatoria State High Election Commission has urged citizens to advocate for the conduct of general elections, describing the process as critical to securing lasting peace and stability in South Sudan.
Speaking during the Morning Breeze talk show, Advocate Jima Joe Andrea acknowledged growing public frustration over repeated election postponements amid ongoing insecurity in parts of the country. He emphasized that credible elections are necessary to facilitate political transition and national stability.
“It is true that citizens are frustrated because whenever it is time for elections, they are postponed. Yet we continue to witness conflict in different parts of the country. Elections are important because they create an opportunity for change and help address these challenges. Without elections, there will be no transition, and instability may continue. We should remain hopeful that South Sudan will one day achieve lasting peace. Many nations have gone through conflict and later stabilized, we must believe our country will also improve.”
Meanwhile, the Deputy Chairperson of the State High Election Commission, Hon. Emmanuel Oriema, said persistent clashes in some areas continue to hinder electoral preparations. He stressed that restoring peace is primarily the responsibility of the government under Chapter Two of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS), signed on 12 September 2018.
“There are ongoing clashes in some areas, and it is the responsibility of the government to ensure peace so that voters can freely participate in elections. The implementation of Chapter Two of the peace agreement, which relates to security arrangements, falls under the government’s mandate, not the Election Commission. However, peacebuilding is not only the duty of government; citizens also have a role to play in promoting stability.”
The officials underscored that peaceful conditions are essential to enable citizens to safely exercise their democratic rights when elections are eventually conducted. The program was sponsored by Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA).