NEC gets AU nod, as it shares election readiness in key Addis meeting

NEC chairperson, Gabriel Bol Deng details commission’s preparedness for elections, the achievements made and the hurdles along the path to the polls

By Emmanuel Mandella

National Elections Commission chairperson, Gabriel Bol Deng (right) shares the Commission’s readiness to members of the AU’s Political Affairs, Peace and Security Department headed by Ambassddor Bankole Adeoye at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on Tuesday. [Photo: Courtesy]

‘The captain has kicked up the engine and the train has left the station.’

This was the solemn message from the National Elections Commission chairperson, Gabriel Bol Deng, to the high-level African Union (AU) officials during a meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, as he detailed the Commission’s preparedness thus far amidst challenges along the path to elections.

The electoral commission chairperson met with officials of the AU’s Political Affairs, Peace and Security Department headed by Ambassddor Bankole Adeoye at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia om Tuesday, where he highlighted various steps made by the Commission and plans on the pipeline, including voter registration scheduled for early November.

“Everything is set, we will launch it and move quickly to carry out the voter registration across the country,” said the NEC chairman, wearing confidence in the success of the country’s upcoming landmark mission.

Hon. Bol cited lack of adequate resources for civic and voter education, voter registration, and required logistics as major hurdles facing the process.

Despite these constraints, Bol said the government had already provided funding that enabled the commission to undertake several preparatory activities.

These include acquiring the NEC headquarters building, launching civic and voter education activities, and producing voter registration documents intended to support the electoral process.

He nevertheless called on the African Union to provide additional assistance, arguing that stronger international cooperation would help the commission address outstanding gaps before polling day.

The appeal comes at a critical stage in the electoral calendar, with less than two months remaining before the scheduled December 22 vote.

The African Union reaffirmed its commitment to supporting South Sudan’s electoral process, including plans to deploy election experts to assist the NEC.

For her part, Ms. Patience Zanelie Chiradza, Director of Governance and Conflict Prevention in the AU’s Department of Political Affairs, Peace and Security, said arrangements were underway to send experts to the country.

Hon. Bol (left) shares insights with Ms. Patience Zanelie Chieadza, Director of Governance, and conflict Prevention, Department of political Affairs, Peace and Security at the African Union.[Photo: Courtesy]

“We are working on logistical arrangements to send experts to help NEC, we want at least one expert to be based in Juba for a considerable amount of time to fully support the elections,” Chiradza said.

The proposed deployment is expected to strengthen the commission’s technical capacity and provide sustained assistance as preparations move forward.

The AU also proposed establishing an election situation room in South Sudan. The facility would bring together relevant institutions and stakeholders, including civil society organizations, media representatives and government institutions, to monitor developments and exchange information throughout the electoral process.

Such a mechanism could provide a platform for coordinating election monitoring, identifying emerging challenges and improving communication among institutions involved in the polls.

However, the effectiveness of the proposed arrangement will depend on the participation of relevant stakeholders, access to reliable information and the ability of participating institutions to operate transparently.

Chiradza also urged the NEC to provide a clear electoral roadmap to help the AU mobilise additional resources and coordinate assistance from its member states.

“Given the little time that we have, we are ready to support trainings, civic and voter education,” she said, adding that the AU would approach other member states to seek further support.

She also noted that Nigeria had offered to assist South Sudan’s elections, indicating that regional cooperation could play an important role in addressing some of the commission’s capacity constraints.

In a separate engagement, Bol Deng met Ambassador Dr Mohamed Khaled, Algeria’s ambassador to Ethiopia and permanent representative to the African Union.

During the meeting, the Algerian ambassador expressed his country’s readiness to support South Sudan’s elections within its available capabilities. He urged the NEC to submit an urgent request outlining its priority needs, saying Algeria would consider how best to assist based on the resources available to it.

Hon. Bol shares a group photo with H.E. Dr. Mohamed Khaled, the Ambassador of the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria to the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and Permanent Representative to the African Union.[Photo: Courtesy]

The engagement adds Algeria to the list of international partners expressing willingness to contribute to the electoral process. Bol also said South Africa had offered assistance and had already provided some in-kind support to the commission.

According to the NEC chairperson, the commission has recruited 22,127 workers who are expected to be deployed to manage different aspects of the planned December 22 elections.

Commitment to polls

The Addis Ababa discussions come on the back of President Salva Kiir’s assurance of the country’s determination to proceed with the December polls. In his recent comments during the swearing in of three NEC commissioners in Juba, Kiir said the country must not allow economic challenges to become an obstacle to the electoral process.

“We are going for elections by all means,” the president said at the swearing in ceremony, urging the electoral officials to advance preparations for the democratic activity.

The President’s position places the December elections at the centre of the government’s political agenda, while the NEC’s appeal to regional and international partners highlights the financial, logistical and technical challenges that must be addressed as the country readies herself for elections.

The commission’s proposed election roadmap is expected to be important in identifying priority activities, establishing timelines and enabling partners to determine where their assistance would have the greatest impact.

As the December deadline approaches, the central question is no longer only whether the government intends to hold elections, but whether the responsible institutions will get the full support required to conduct the polls in record time, credibly.