John Akoon
Africa-Press – South-Sudan. President Salva Kiir dons the SPLM party colours during the event. [Photo: PPU]
President Salva Kiir appealed to the members of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) to prepare adequately for the December 2024 elections, stressing that most South Sudanese want to elect their leaders this year.
Kiir, who was speaking at Dr John Garang’s Mausoleum in Juba during a rally organised by Greater Equatoria region to endorse him for the big seat, told the SPLM members that the interparty dialogue will soon decide the kind of election that befits the occasion for the country.
“I urge interparty dialogue to find amicable solutions on the way forward for the elections to be held, and while this process is ongoing, I urge the SPLM secretariats and the entire members of the SPLM to prepare and get ready for the election in December 2024,” Kiir urged.
According to Kiir, the agreed period on the roadmap is coming to an end, and the position of the SPLM political party is to allow the South Sudanese people to elect their leaders.
“Comrades, the agreed transitional period on the roadmap is coming to an end. Our position in the SPLM is that the people of South Sudan must be given the right chance to choose their leaders at the end of this period. Now, if I ask any of you here whether you like the election or not. I think the majority of answers will be positive,” he said.
The head of state sought to reassure some members of the international community who think that holding an election may plunge the country back into chaos.
“Some people in America and Europe said that a statement of SPLM must be prevented. Because if they go for elections people will fight. Who is going to fight here among you?” he posed.
“Some people said if the election is allowed to go on, many people will die. South Sudanese will fight. I must assure you that nobody will fight,” he reassured.
President Kiir faulted some parties to the peace accord for trying to push for an extension of the timeline of the transitional agreement.
“Some political parties are pushing for an extension of the transitional period to ensure that their concerns are not ignored. I have urged the interparty dialogue to find amicable solutions on the way forward for the elections to be held,” he added.
Kiir further appealed to the holdout groups to embrace the Tumaini Initiative—the mediation led by the Kenyan government— to dialogue with the government and ensure that the upcoming election is inclusive.
“To ensure that this election is inclusive, I am also calling upon our brothers and sisters in the holdout groups to embrace the Tumaini Initiative under the leadership of Kenyan President William Ruto to dialogue with us to reach an amicable solution,” President Kiir made an appealed during his endorsement rally.
South Sudan is to hold the elections in December 2024 as per the roadmap signed by the parties to the peace accord in August 2022.
Source: The City Review South Sudan
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