By Otto Abut|CRN
Civil society has urged the government to provide timely and adequate funding to the National Elections Commission (NEC), warning that financial delays could jeopardize the credibility of South Sudan’s electoral process.
Speaking during the launch of the National Elections Commission’s voter and civic education campaign, civil society activist and human rights advocate Edmund Yakani emphasized that while political competition is a fundamental aspect of democracy, leaders must ensure it does not fuel instability.
“Election is a very high political competition among ourselves before the citizens,” Yakani said. “But politicians must abstain from hate speech, hostile propaganda, and violence.”
Yakani called on the government to guarantee equal and sufficient funding for the electoral process, cautioning that inadequate financing could reduce the elections to “a drama” rather than a genuine democratic exercise.
He also urged political leaders to refrain from abusing state institutions or public resources to influence election outcomes.
“Don’t abuse state power in order to manipulate the electoral process. Let our votes be counted as they are,” he said.
The civil society leader stressed that all political parties should compete on an equal footing without using state resources to intimidate opponents, urging candidates to seek public support through peaceful and democratic means.
Yakani further called for urgent clarification of key legal issues ahead of the elections, including the applicable legal framework, constituency boundaries, and unresolved constitutional matters.
While commending the National Elections Commission for its commitment to implementing the electoral law, he said responsibility for any failure of the electoral process would ultimately rest with political leaders if they failed to provide the Commission with the support needed to conduct credible and peaceful elections.
He underscored the importance of voter and civic education, saying it should not only explain voter registration procedures but also educate citizens about voter eligibility, civic responsibilities, and responsible participation in the democratic process.
Addressing political parties, Yakani warned that they would be held accountable if election-related violence occurs.
“This time around, the vote is not free. The vote is tied to accountability,” he said.
He encouraged voters to carefully assess the conduct, policies, and messages of candidates before casting their ballots and reiterated that political power must be attained through peaceful democratic processes.
“We need to access power not with the bullet, but in an honorable and peaceful way. The only honorable and peaceful way is through the election process,” Yakani said.
He concluded by urging South Sudan’s political leaders to build national consensus on the electoral process, recalling that the 2010 elections were marred by violence, intimidation, and the destruction of ballot papers, and warning against a repeat of those incidents.