A civil society leader has raised alarm over what he described as the first major violation of South Sudan’s electoral timeline, warning that the failure to announce geographical constituencies by the legally mandated deadline threatens the credibility of the country’s planned 2026 elections.
Speaking under the Election Watch initiative, the Chief Executive Officer of the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) said 22 December 2025 marked a critical deadline under the National Election Act (Amended 2023) for the National Elections Commission (NEC) to publicly announce the geographical constituencies to be used in the general elections scheduled for 22 December 2026.
According to the law, specifically Section 41, Subsection 1(e), the announcement of constituencies is a mandatory pre-election requirement intended to guide voter registration, candidate nomination, and overall electoral preparations. However, as of the deadline, no such public announcement had been made.
“Today was supposed to be the day South Sudanese are officially informed of the constituencies agreed upon for the 2026 elections,” the CEPO chief said, noting that the failure to meet this requirement constitutes a breach of the electoral timeline.
While acknowledging the missed deadline, the civil society leader stressed that NEC should not be blamed for the lapse.
He argued that for more than a year, NEC leadership has repeatedly and publicly called for urgent political decisions to address contradictions and unresolved issues within the electoral framework.
“For over 16 to 18 months, NEC has been clear that political consensus and decisions were required to fix controversial provisions in the law and enable them to execute their constitutional mandate,” he said.
“The commission has not received the political support it needs.”
Instead, CEPO placed responsibility squarely on the incumbent government, accusing political leaders of reluctance, lack of commitment, and a culture of delay that has undermined timely implementation of electoral tasks.
The civil society leader warned that recent moves to amend the constitution, the National Election Act, the Political Parties Act, and even aspects of the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement signal an attempt to justify delays rather than prepare the country for elections.
“What we are witnessing is a familiar political pattern,” he said. “As soon as a critical deadline approaches, processes are rushed, consensus is undermined, and confusion is created to justify an extension of the transitional period.”
CEPO cautioned that the failure to announce constituencies represents the first concrete violation of the electoral calendar and could set a dangerous precedent if left unaddressed.
The organization warned that continued delays risk eroding public confidence and increasing political tension across the country.
The Election Watch initiative further noted that repeated postponements of key milestones contradict earlier political assurances that there would be no further extensions of the transitional period and that elections would be held as scheduled in December 2026.
“This is not an administrative issue; it is a political one,” the CEPO chief emphasized.
“What is happening is a game of buying time, legitimizing disorder, and weakening national consensus in order to manufacture reasons for another extension.”
CEPO called on political leaders to demonstrate genuine commitment to the peace agreement and electoral process by immediately resolving outstanding political disputes, enabling NEC to carry out its mandate independently and within the law.
The organization also urged citizens, political parties, and international partners to remain vigilant and closely monitor adherence to the electoral timeline, warning that failure to act now could jeopardize the prospects of South Sudan’s long-awaited democratic transition.
