US envoy urges South Sudan to implement priority tasks ahead of elections
The United States Ambassador to South Sudan, Michael Adler has urged the parties to the 2018 revitalized peace agreement to use the remaining few months to prioritize implementation of tasks that will ensure free, fair and credible elections in 2024.
“With the transitional government almost a year behind in meeting commitments in the peace agreement, it is imperative to spend the time left between now and December 2024 to focus on what is absolutely essential for free, fair, credible, and peaceful elections,” said Adler in a statement issued in Juba on Friday.
President Salva Kiir last week reconstituted the National Elections Commission, the Political Parties Council and the National Constitutional Review Commission and appointed officials to lead them as the country prepares for the elections in December 2024.
Adler said that there is need for the parties to open up civic and political space and also graduate and deploy a politically neutral security forces, including police.
Adler revealed that mechanisms of federalism will only function if leaders reject the use of violence as a tool for political competition, adding that it is essential to commit to a code of conduct that is based on democracy and peaceful participation in the political process.
“It is also a matter of urgency that the transitional government use public revenue transparently for public purposes, including support for electoral institutions, as well as salaries for security and civil service personnel, who will have an important role to play in creating an environment conducive to peaceful elections,” he said.
