Africa-Press – South-Sudan. The Minister of Cabinet Affairs has affirmed to the parliament that there will be no further extension of the transitional government, ensuring that general elections will be held next year as scheduled.
Speaking to lawmakers during a Tuesday sitting to discuss a report from the peace monitoring body, R-JMEC, Dr. Martin Elia Lomuro, who also serves as the Secretary of the National Transitional Committee, emphasised that holding elections is essential for cementing peace and stability in the country.
“We do not have any chance, no option, other than to take this country to an election, for us to cement stability. It’s critical,” Lomuro stated.
Addressing concerns from legislators about the lack of a permanent constitution, insufficient funding, and the need for a national census, Lomuro stressed that these gaps would not derail the polls.
He hinted that the NTC is considering alternative arrangements to ensure the vote proceeds on schedule.
“If we don’t get the permanent constitution, and we don’t get a census, there are other things that can be done to take us to the election,” he said.
He called on all parties to the agreement and the lawmakers to cooperate when the time comes to “think out of the box.”
Regarding security arrangements, Lomuro revealed that the first phase has been completed with the deployment of the army and national security forces. The second phase, which includes police, prison, and wildlife forces, is pending funding to cover their salaries.
“We’re only left with the police, prison, and wildlife, because they don’t have a budget for their salaries,” he explained. “As soon as the budget for their salaries is available, we will take them, remove them from the training centres, and then we will have the training centres ready for Phase 2.”
Lomuro noted that all electoral-related institutions have their plans ready and will finish their jobs in time if funding is made available.
He is now urging parliament to cooperate with the government to overcome challenges and support preparations for the December 2026 general elections.
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