By Hou AKot Hou
The Northern Bahr el Ghazal state’s High Election Commission has declared that they intend to visit all the constituencies used in the 2010 election.
Joseph Akuei Yak, the chairperson of the Election Commission in Northern Bahr el Ghazal state, revealed to the media last week that the Election Commission intends to map out the previous electoral sites that were used as the polling stations during the 2010 election.
He said the national officials have urged the local voters to adhere to the polling stations or constituencies used during the 2010 election.
“What we want to tell our local constituents is that the previous constituencies can be adopted, used, and kept intact, as no more can be added, as no census has been conducted yet again,” he said.
Yak said they will be moving in the counties to cross-check the previous areas and see whether changes have been made to those ones.
“Our teams will be going out to assess by themselves and find out whether those areas are still intact, and then we shall give the report as per those constituencies so that other processes are taken,” he said.
Yak didn’t mention his words in making a mention of lack of funds as a major setback in the upcoming election, as it is behind schedule.
“The issue of underfunding is a big problem, and we have to do what the national election commission tells us,” he lamented.
As South Sudan is preparing for the election, many hold pessimism as a result of the lack of implementation of other key components in the revitalised peace agreement, including the permanent constitution-making, which is still ongoing.
Others blame the lack of reunification of forces on a lack of trust and the parallel armies for both the South Sudan People’s Liberation in Opposition/Army (SPLM_IO/A) and the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF).
It remains to be seen whether the doubting Thomases will have their concerns addressed as the election period looms.