South Sudan has replaced the chairperson of the National Elections Commission (NEC) just three months before the country is due to hold presidential and parliamentary elections on 22 December 2026, putting a new leadership team in charge at a critical stage of preparations.
President Salva Kiir Mayardit removed Professor Abednego Akok Kacuol and appointed Gabriel Bol Deng Majok, who had been serving as the commission’s Secretary-General.
The change was announced on state-owned South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation on Tuesday, with no reason given for Akok’s removal.
The timing matters because the NEC has already begun preparations for the December vote.
Earlier this month, the commission said it had started training State High Elections Committees and administrative-area officials on voter registration.
The NEC has also said that voter registration has not yet begun, despite claims circulating on social media. It says the registration dates and centres will be announced through its official channels.
What could change?
The NEC had previously announced 22 December 2026 as the polling date.
The commission says it is responsible for voter registration, candidate nominations, recruitment and training of electoral staff, civic and voter education and other elements of the electoral process.
The change also raises questions about the legal process behind the removal.
Professor Akok had led the NEC since his first appointment in 2012 and was reappointed in 2023 when the commission was reconstituted under the 2018 peace agreement.
For the new chairperson, the immediate task is therefore to take over an electoral institution already working against a fixed December deadline, while voter registration and other preparations remain ongoing.
The key question now is how quickly the new NEC leadership can maintain continuity in the preparations and whether the 22 December timetable remains unchanged.
As of the latest available information, the scheduled polling date has not been changed.
