Kiir, Machar planning unlawful extension of transitional period, Dr. Lam’s NDM says

JUBA – South Sudan’s National Democratic Movement (NDM) led by Dr. Lam Akol Ajawin has alleged that the ruling SPLM faction and the main armed opposition Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO) led by First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny are planning for extension of the transitional period.

This comes after the parliament decided to pass the Political Parties Act of 2012 (Amendment Bill 2022) stipulating that the political parties who are to compete during elections set for end of transitional period in December must register within a period beyond the election timeline.

The 36-months transitional period commenced on 22 February 2022 with the appointment of then rebel leader Dr. Riek Machar Teny as First Vice President based on the provisions of the revitalized peace agreement and the agreement says elections shall be conducted two months before the end of the transitional period.

This, the NDM said in a statement a copy of which was sent to Sudans Post, means the two main SPLM factions under President Kiir and his first deputy Machar are planning to extend the transitional period beyond December 22, 2022, the time the country is supposed to go for elections.

“One serious amendment to the bill worked out by the two SPLM factions which they adopted yesterday was that the political parties are to register within ten months from the date of the promulgation of the bill as law by presidential assent (rather than six months from signing the Agreement as came in Article 1.20.1 of R-ARCSS),” the NDM said in the statement.

“Assuming that the President will give assent to the bill in June which is a day away, this means that the ten months will extend to April 2023 when the Agreement provides for elections to be conducted on 22 December 2022,” it added.

It said that “This is the clearest sign yet that the SPLM-IG and SPLM-IO are planning to extend the transitional period through the backdoor. Otherwise, how will the elections be conducted if the political parties are not registered?”

The statement further said that “that what happened yesterday was a dangerous precedence to dismantle the agreement through the appointed parliament the mandate of which is limited to ratifying laws drafted by the NCAC. This violation of the agreement must be reversed.”