Machar rejects election date, cites unimplemented peace provisions

JUBA – South Sudan’s First Vice President and SPLM-IO opposition leader, Riek Machar, on Monday rejected the National Elections Commission’s (NEC) proposed election date of December 22, 2024, citing ongoing inter-party dialogue and a peace initiative led by Kenya.

In a statement following a meeting of the SPLM-IO Political Bureau, Machar said his opposition to the date is due to uncompleted tasks provide for in the revitalized peace agreement.

He argued that setting the election date without resolving key issues undermines the 2018 peace agreement’s provisions.

“The decision violates R-ARCSS Article 1.20.6 on the requirements of conduct of elections on the basis of the Permanent Constitution and amended National Elections Act. Therefore, the declaration of the Chairperson is null and void,” Machar said.

He added that the “declaration threatens to jeopardize the peace process in South Sudan.”

“The above actions of the Chairperson of NEC have made the members of the Commission, the Political Parties and the general public lose confidence in his integrity, neutrality and ability to conduct a peaceful, transparent, inclusive, free, fair and credible elections in the Republic of South Sudan,” he added.

Last week, the NEC announced the December 22, 2024, election date. Separately, the political parties’ council declared that all parties intending to participate in the upcoming elections must register by June 30.

Machar stressed that the implementation of transitional security arrangements and the ongoing inter-party dialogue on the unification and deployment of unified forces cannot be disrupted.

He highlighted that the three main signatories to the peace agreement still control their forces until they are unified and deployed under the terms of the 2018 agreement.

Machar argued that the actions of the Political Parties’ Council chairperson undermine public confidence in the institution.

“The actions of the Chairperson of the PPC have made the members of the Council, the Political Parties and the general public lose confidence in his integrity, neutrality and ability to steer and work with the Political Parties in a multi-Party Political System in support of conduct of a peaceful, transparent, inclusive, free, fair and credible elections in the Republic of South Sudan,” he added.

He called for integrity and neutrality to ensure peaceful, transparent, inclusive, free, fair, and credible elections in South Sudan.