Africa-Press – South-Sudan. A senior National Elections Commission official has announced that the Commission will start civic education and voter registration across the country by the end of this month.
Speaking during the handover of 10 vehicles yesterday, 20/05/2025, Gabriel Bol Deng, the Secretary of the Commission, said the commission has completed needed preparations to start the exercise.
“Today, we are handling over 10 vehicles to the states so that they can be moved. They can move to counties, they can move to the states, and Payams to disseminate the information about the elections,” he said.
He said the vehicles will support outreach efforts in counties and Payams to disseminate vital information about the upcoming elections.
“The rollout will happen across the states, but from the headquarters, we will supervise the process in collaboration with our international partners.
Bol stated that the commission has already trained trainers and will now begin outreach across the states with the supervision of headquarters and international partners, including the UNMISS Electoral Assistance Program.
“(Regarding) the electoral assistant program, UNMISS will now be embedded to provide oversight, ensuring that everything is done according to the training we’ve provided.
He also revealed that the Commission is working on approving a national electoral curriculum to guide uniform civic education efforts across the country in line with the constitution.
“Most importantly, in the next phase, we will sit down and approve a national electoral curriculum.
“This is a crucial document, as it will ensure that each state has a curriculum based on the constitution and the necessary election procedures.”
In February, the parties to the revitalized peace agreement extended the transition until 2026, when the country is expected to hold its first general elections.
However, the road to 2026 is shaky as several leaders of the opposition group, SPLM, – a key signatory to the 2018 peace accord, are being held in detention for allegedly inciting the March 2025 Nasir violence.
According to government spokesperson, Michael Makuei, the detainees, including First Vice President Dr Riek Machar, who has been held under house arrest, will be arraigned in court.
The move sparked international fear that the country would plunge into an all-out war with Western countries, the African Union, and the regional IGAD, calling for the release of the opposition leaders and the resumption of negotiations to de-escalate the political crisis.
Despite calls, the government has not heeded.
Since the outbreak of violence in Nasir, and the subsequent arrest of the opposition’s key figures, some institutions such as the national parliament, which draws representatives from parties, as well as the peace monitors, have not been active.
Meanwhile, some key peace mechanisms such as the National Election Commission (NEC) and the Constitutional Review Commission have continued their duties.
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