Africa-Press – South-Sudan. Turalei youth in Twic County of South Sudan’s Warrap State are gearing up for a leadership election scheduled for July 26, the incumbent executive body announced.
Augustino Mayai, the chairperson of the election organizing committee, confirmed Sunday that preparations were underway to elect a new youth leadership, in line with the organization’s constitution, which mandates a two-year term for elected officials.
Mayai emphasised the importance of widespread participation, urging payam leaders to mobilise potential voters.
“Our goal is to ensure every youth participates. As the pillars of Twic County, we must unite across all six payams and support candidates who declare their candidacy without complaints about the process,” he said.
Acknowledging challenges, Mayai noted that some youth may be occupied with farming, potentially limiting attendance. The chairman also attributed weak youth leadership to misinformation and self-interest among some individuals.
“The new county-level body will be formed first, with payam-level roles reorganised later. Elected leaders must hand over their positions when their term expires,” he stated.
The election will begin with the selection of key positions, including youth president, vice president, secretary, and finance officer, who will then appoint additional members.
Dut Akec, a young aspirant, raised concerns about potential vote-buying, calling it a regressive tactic. He encouraged candidates to focus on critical issues like insecurity from cattle raids and communal conflicts, such as tensions between Twic and Abyei.
“We want candidates to address how they’ll de-escalate these issues through open campaigns,” Akec urged.
Concerns linger about possible fraud and interference from local authorities, a recurring issue in youth elections.
Last year, similar interference in Northern Bahr el Ghazal led to a dysfunctional youth leadership until a new body was recently established.
The upcoming election is a critical opportunity for Twic County’s youth to strengthen their leadership and address pressing community challenges.
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