South Sudan’s political stakeholders are preparing for inter-party talks which is scheduled for next Wednesday.
Ahead of this, President Salva Kiir Mayardit has been meeting leaders of political parties to discuss the country’s electoral pathway and transitional political settlement ahead of the December 2026 elections.
The dialogue is intended as a broad-based platform for political parties and other stakeholders to discuss, negotiate and agree on key electoral issues that need to be settled before the elections.
It also presents an opportunity to identify important post-election issues requiring national consensus to preserve peace, political legitimacy and continuity of state-building.
The dialogue is expected to bring together political parties and groups from across the political spectrum, including those outside the 2018 Revitalised Peace Agreement, to strengthen political understanding and create a conducive environment for peaceful, inclusive and credible elections.
Among the issues expected to be discussed are constituency boundaries and representation, independent candidacy, whether elections will be conducted at all levels at once or in phases, election financing and campaign funding, and security arrangements for candidates, rallies, polling centers, election materials and the transmission of results.
Political parties are also expected to discuss the political space available for campaigning, including freedom of assembly, movement and speech; the use of digital or manual systems for voter registration, voting, counting and results transmission; campaign modalities; and access for domestic, regional, continental and international election observers.
The dialogue will further consider mechanisms for preventing and resolving electoral disputes, including timely procedures for addressing complaints, as well as a political code of conduct committing participating parties to non-violence, lawful political engagement and peaceful competition.
Presidential Adviser on National Security Tut Gatluak Manime said the dialogue would go beyond electoral preparations and provide an opportunity for political leaders to address peace, security and national stability ahead of the polls.
WN/as/APA