The announcement by the National Elections Commission (NEC) that South Sudan will hold its general elections on 22 December 2026 marks a defining moment in the country’s democratic journey.<\/p>\n
The date is now set, and the responsibility shifts to political parties, leaders, institutions, and citizens to ensure that the electoral process becomes a symbol of peace, unity, and national progress.<\/p>\n
Elections should never be viewed as a battlefield where opponents become enemies. Instead, they should provide an opportunity for political parties to present their visions, policies, and programs to the people.<\/p>\n
It is through peaceful campaigns and healthy political competition that citizens can make informed choices about the future of their country.<\/p>\n
Political parties carry a special responsibility during this period. Their leaders must exercise restraint in their speeches and actions, avoiding language that incites violence, hatred, or division.<\/p>\n
Every campaign message should inspire hope rather than fear, and every political rally should promote national cohesion rather than deepen existing differences.<\/p>\n
South Sudan has experienced years of conflict that have cost countless lives, displaced families, and slowed national development.<\/p>\n
The people deserve a peaceful environment in which they can freely participate in choosing their leaders. No political ambition is worth sacrificing the hard-earned peace that citizens continue to strive for every day.<\/p>\n
Political leaders must also educate their supporters on the importance of tolerance. Winning and losing are both part of democracy.<\/p>\n
Acceptance of election outcomes through lawful channels strengthens democratic institutions and builds confidence in the country’s electoral system. Resorting to violence or intimidation only undermines the very democracy political parties seek to uphold.<\/p>\n
Security institutions, civil society organisations, religious leaders, and the media also have important roles to play.<\/p>\n
Together, they should promote civic education, encourage peaceful participation, and ensure that voters understand both their rights and responsibilities throughout the electoral process.<\/p>\n
The success of the December 22 elections will not be measured only by the number of people who vote but by the level of peace maintained before, during, and after polling day. A peaceful election will send a powerful message to the region and the international community that South Sudan is committed to democratic governance and national stability.<\/p>\n
As the campaign season approaches, let every political party remember that today’s rival may become tomorrow’s partner in nation-building.<\/p>\n
The true victory belongs not to one party alone but to a peaceful South Sudan where democracy flourishes, citizens are respected, and the future is secured for generations to come.<\/p>\n
God protect South Sudan<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Be the spectator!<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The announcement by the National Elections Commission (NEC) that South Sudan will hold its general elections on 22 December 2026 marks a defining moment in the country’s democratic journey. The date is now set, and the responsibility shifts to political parties, leaders, institutions, and citizens to ensure that the electoral[Read More…]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":45757,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[89,90,122,80,87],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-45819","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-columnists","category-commentary","category-nation-talk","category-national","category-oped"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/NATION-TALKS-LOGO-2.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45819","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=45819"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45819\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":45820,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45819\/revisions\/45820"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/45757"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=45819"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=45819"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=45819"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}