By Lodu William Odiya
The Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) has warned that mismanagement of 2026 general election schedule would sustain the culture of military approaches to resolve political misunderstanding across the country.
This followed a domestic election observation report released yesterday, covering the period from January to March 2026, titled Preliminary Findings on Pre-Election Domestic Observation in South Sudan.
According to the key findings of the observation report, the time remaining for the potential holding of South Sudan’s December 2026 election is running out or drawing closer each day without credible evidence of progress.
“Any mismanagement of the scheduled December 2026 elections will be a big grave mistake that will sustain the culture of military approaches for resolving political misunderstandings across the country” the report partly read.
It underscored that the level of political grievances and dissatisfaction among the political elites across political establishments in the country is deeper and more bitter which requires genuine, credible, fair and peaceful holdings of elections.
Additionally, holding the election would be an option of a non-violent way for the transfer of power in an honourable and peaceful manner from one group to another.
“The electoral deadline of 22nd June 2026 presents a potential constitutional and government legitimacy crisis. Tactics aimed at securing a further extension of the current transitional period are gaining ground, despite stated commitments and promises that there would be no additional extension or postponement of the December 2026 election” the statement continued.
CEPO emphasized that the three key fin clearly demonstrate that the country will not hold elections in December 2026 if the leadership of the country fails to invest funds for the election and immediately stops the tactics of waging expensive military confrontation and the act of fostering political splits among the party’s signatories to the 2018 peace agreement.
“South Sudan elections still have choices for possible holding if the political leadership demonstrate a serious commitment that will be described with adequate allocation of funds to the NEC and other election-related institutions” the statement continued.
However, On Tuesday this week, the Chairperson of the National Elections Commission have announced that the body had received only four percent of the funds required to organize the general elections scheduled for December this year.
The announcement comes as preparations continue, after parties to the peace agreement agreed in the December last year to defer the permanent constitution-making process and the population census until after the vote.