JUBA, June 22 (Xinhua) -- South Sudan's National Elections Commission (NEC) announced on Monday that the country's first general elections since gaining independence in 2011 will be held on Dec. 22.
Originally scheduled for December 2024, the elections were postponed after political leaders agreed to extend the transitional period by two years under the 2018 revitalized peace agreement.
NEC Chairperson Abednego Akok Kacuol said during a press conference in Juba, the capital of South Sudan, that the announcement was made in accordance with the National Elections Act, which requires the commission to declare an election date at least six months before polling day.
Kacuol said the commission's decision was guided by the revitalized peace agreement and the National Elections Act, noting that the timeline complies with legal requirements for advance notice.
He urged the government to expedite amendments to outstanding electoral and legal provisions and provide the resources needed to facilitate election preparations.
"There are many challenges facing the commission, and we strongly request the government to speed up amending the existing legal gaps and to provide all necessities within a short period to enable us to proceed with our duties and responsibilities in the coming few months," he said, adding that the commission will soon publish a detailed electoral timetable and launch a compressed voter registration exercise.
South Sudan has repeatedly postponed its first post-independence elections due to persistent disagreements over the implementation of the revitalized peace agreement, particularly on unified security arrangements, constitution-making and the establishment of key electoral infrastructure.
The delays prompted political leaders to approve a two-year extension of the transitional period, pushing the election date from December 2024 to Dec. 22, 2026. ■