Writer: John Simon Yokwe Keri
Elections have been a story in South Sudanese lives. It has been since 2010 that, as Sudanese, we have elections for presidential candidates, Members of Parliament – National Assembly in Khartoum, Southern Sudan Legislative Assembly, Council of States, State Assemblies, and Governors.
But elections themselves are not new in the lives of South Sudanese; they are a practice being exercised by many cultural associations, youth associations of different communities, villages, Payams, counties, and states. It is also being practised in universities’ student unions and students’ associations.
Whether at community or student levels, an election is believed to be a procedure of a peaceful transfer of administrative, political, and other powers conferred by that constitution to another for a specific term.
The Transitional Constitution of South Sudan 2011, as amended, provided for election as a means of transparent and democratic transfer of political and administrative powers of the government from one government to another.
The constitution has provided for election as a right of every citizen to express his or her free will to cast a vote for a candidate whom he or she trusts to serve him or her in the government—being executive or legislature.
Election is a decision that every citizen is making and is going to be bound by it. It is a mandate of authority given to the elected candidate to act on behalf of the people in the government. It is power given to the elected candidate to run the government in accordance with the will of the voters. It is a trust bestowed on the elected candidate to act in trust of the citizens. It is a covenant between the voters and the elected to act in the government for the benefit of the people.
A winning candidate must know that he or she is trusted by the people and has the right to respect his or her voters and act in accordance with their will. He or she must understand that voters have the power to withdraw their trust in case of betrayal. He or she must bear in mind that he or she must have time to visit his or her constituency and listen and talk to the voters.
Election obligates the electoral commission, voters, and elected candidates. Voters, after a clear understanding of the explanation by the electoral commission on the procedure and process of election, clear demarcations of constituencies, proper registration, and ample timing of the exercise on dates and times, will proceed to cast their votes.
The commission, on the other hand, is obligated to hold the process of casting votes transparent and free from intimidation, misrepresentations, and undue influence. Voting centres must be clearly named and numbered and open and closed at their due time.
The process must be free, fair, and standard. Counting of ballots must be clear and in the presence of all agents, in the interest of trust and the benefit of the doubt. South Sudanese citizens must be respected and be given a chance to express their will and make their decision.
South Sudanese have never had a government of their own; all governments from 2005 to date are governments of agreements, acting for the benefit of partners of those agreements.
It is high time that this election brings a real government of South Sudanese people, voted for by them and mandated by them to run a government that prioritises peace, engages in dialogue with the people on the system of governance, establishes real people’s representation in the assemblies and executives, and works for development of the country’s economy, security, education, health, roads, and service delivery.