S. Sudan: Rights body calls for sustainable peace before elections
September 4, 2017 (KAMPALA) – The Centre for Peace and Justice (CPJ) has appealed to the government of South Sudan to give time for the institutions in the young nation to reform and achieve total and sustainable peace before polls are conducted in 2018.
“Election cannot happen while the country is still at war it impossible to conduct credible free and fair democratic elections in South Sudan without sustainable peace,” said Tito.
He added, “For credible election, there must be adequate preparations otherwise it not have been done to allow for free and fair elections.”
Last week, South Sudan’s information minister, Michael Makuei Lueth was quoted saying general elections will take place at end of the Transitional Government of National Unity (TGoNU) period in 2018.
“If it happens that the government forces to conduct the elections despite the insecurity, than I call on South Sudanese citizens to boycott elections because it will not reflect their will,” stressed Tito.
The CPJ coordinator said South Sudan needed to review laws such as the National Elections Act and the Political Parties Act as stipulated in the provisions of the 2015 signed peace agreement.
“The facts that the general security and humanitarian situations in the country is it will not allow peace election,” he said, adding “We need to work to achieve peace first and elections will be done in peaceful environment.
Last month, the United Nations special envoy for South Sudan, Nicholas Haysom warned that the young nation could face more problems if issue affecting it are not tackled prior to next year’s general polls.
“There is sporadic fighting and widespread insecurity across the country,” Haysom told the UN Security Council.
“Our engagements with South Sudanese interlocutors, including the opposition, suggest that battlefield fortunes continue to inform the calculus of both the government and its opponents.”
South Sudan President Salva Kiir earlier called upon opposition groups to prepare for the country’s general elections, earmarked to take place after the end of the Transitional Government of National Unity period in 2018.
To fast track processes leading to the polls, President Kiir in May officially declared his national dialogue initiative and declared unilateral cease-fire with rebels, albeit it has repeated been violated.
Tens of thousands of people have been killed and over two million displaced in South Sudan’s conflict triggered by political differences between President Kiir, a Dinka, and his former deputy, Riek Machar.
(ST)