As South Sudan prepares for its first-ever elections in 2026, as allegedly said in the media here, I encourage my fellow South Sudanese to engage in the election process and ensure it remains peaceful, free, fair, and credible.
This will empower the civil population to select their leaders from the grassroots level in the villages, and it will give power to the civic population to question any leaders brought into leadership if they fail to deliver the needed services.
The Commissionerships, state MPs, National MPs, Governorships, and Presidency should be elected by the people of South Sudan to secure leaders who will deliver essential services. Our people are eager for effective governance.
Conducting elections will foster trust between the civil population and the government, aiding the country’s economic, social, and developmental growth.
The former MPs struggled to articulate their objectives in parliament. Both former state and national MPs lack clarity in their roles due to the absence of competitive elections that would otherwise drive accountability.
Most of those MPs get into parliament through lobbies, and this process of lobbying doesn’t bring competent leaders into the position; instead, it encourages bribery and other malpractice, leading to self-service, forgetting the people whom they are representing in their constituencies, and this will end the agreement that causes war if there are some violations in the agreement.
Our country has been under this agreement for more than 7 years, and nothing has changed in the core of development.
Appointed commissioners, MPs, and governors often serve their superiors rather than the community, as they cannot challenge decisions from higher authorities. Consequently, community issues remain unaddressed because the current government of National Unity lacks the power to address them.
Prioritising and practising elections is crucial for developmental prosperity. Our nation must embrace democracy and move beyond conflict to achieve this. We must elect individuals committed to serving their communities, echoing the sentiment, “Take town to the village.”
About the Author
Engr. Maker Mangol Acien Yuol is a civil engineer, opinion writer, and leader based in Juba. He holds a Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Civil Technology, BCT, from Federal TVT Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and is pursuing a Master of Science (MSc) in Geotechnical Engineering at the University of Juba.
Geotechnical engineering is the branch of civil engineering concerned with the behaviour of soil, rock, and groundwater and how they interact with structures built on, in, or from them.
He writes on geotechnical safety, sustainable infrastructure, youth development, leadership, and other issues affecting South Sudan. He can be reached at makermangolacien@gmail.com for verification or comments.
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