Writer: John Simon Yokwe Keri
Elections has been a word of story in South Sudanese lives. It has been since 2010 as Sudanese, we have elections for Presidency candidates, Members of Parliaments – National Assembly in Khartoum, Southern Sudan Legislative Assembly, council of states and States Assemblies, and Governors. But elections itself is not new in lives of South Sudanese, it is a practice being exercise by many cultural associations, youth associations of different communities, villages, Payams, Counties and states. It is also being practice in Universities’ students Unions and students’ associations.
Whether at community’s or students’ levels, an election is believed to be procedure of a peaceful transfer of administrative, political and other powers confer by that constitution to another for a specific turner.
Transitional Constitution of South Sudan 2011 as amended provided for election as means of transparent and democratic transfer of political and administrative powers of the government from a 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 to a candidate whom he or she trust 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 to the will of the voters. It is a trust boasted on the elected candidate to act in trust of the citizens. It is a covenant between the voters and the elect to act in the government on the benefit of the people.
A winning candidate must know that, he or she is trusted by the people and have all rights to respect his voters and act in accordance to 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, listen and talk to the voters.
Election obligates both electoral commission, voters and elected candidates. Voters after clear understanding of explanation by the electoral commission on the procedure and process of election, clear demarcations of constituencies, proper registration and amble timing of the exercise on dates and time, 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 intimidations, misrepresentations and undue influence. Voting centres must be clearly named and numbered, open and close in its due time. The process must be free and fair and standard. Counting of ballots must be clear and in presence of all agents for trust and benefit of doubts. South Sudanese citizens must be respected and be given chance to express their will and make their decision.
South Sudanese have never had government of their own, all governments from 2005 to date are governments of agreements, acting on the benefit of partners of those agreements. It is a high time that this election brings a real government of South Sudanese people, voted by them and mandated by them to run a government that prioritize peace, make dialogue with the people on system of governance, established a 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.