Machar’s group says ‘no shortcut to elections’ until all pending tasks completed

JUBA — South Sudan’s main armed opposition Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO) led by First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny has said that it will not accept what it calls “shortcut to elections” until all provisions of the revitalized peace agreement are completed.

This comes after President Salva Kiir Mayardit’s office called for international support to its plan to hold general elections at the end of the transitional period which is slated for 2023.

Machar has however made it clear that any free and free elections won’t be conducted without the graduation of the unified forces and the return of refugees in neighboring countries.

In a statement, member of SPLM-IO National Liberation Council (NLC) and close ally to First Vice President Machar said the group won’t accept a shortcut to the general elections until all provisions of the peace agreement are implemented.

“There is no shortcut to elections until all the provisions of the Peace Agreement are implemented,” he said in a statement extended to Sudans Post.

“I want to inform our distractors that (IO) is not afraid for elections to be held but we should not skip the implementation of the Peace Agreement and talk over elections while other provisions are not implemented,” he added.