Severe funding deficits, unmapped polling stations, and the complete absence of a voter roll indicate that South Sudan is technically and legally incapable of conducting its maiden national elections on December 22, 2026, according to civil rights advocacy group the People’s Coalition for Civil Action (PCCA).<\/p>\n
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Speaking on the implications of South Sudan President Salva Kiir’s unceremonious dismissal of National Elections Commission (NEC) Chairperson Abednego Akok Kako, PCCA member Rajab Mohandis revealed that the commission received less than 10% of its required operational budget prior to the leadership shake-up.<\/p>\n
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Mohandis warned that with no voter registration underway, no enumerators recruited, and the legally mandated three-month deadline for publishing the final voter roll expiring on September 22, proceeding with the vote outside statutory timelines renders the entire process legally vulnerable and functionally impossible.<\/p>\n
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Mohandis noted that before his removal, Akok Kako had repeatedly raised alarms over critical budget shortfalls and widespread regional insecurity, suggesting that those public warnings likely triggered his dismissal. While the executive has systematically delinked constitutional prerequisites, such as completing a national population census and enacting a permanent constitution, to pave the way for the December poll, basic ground-level infrastructure remains completely unestablished.<\/p>\n
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“In South Sudan, the polling stations have not been still identified. Voters registration has not been done. And all preparations for elections have not taken place,” Mohandis stated. “Changing the leadership of the NEC only adds to these uncertainties and gives a clear picture really that it’s highly unlikely that South Sudan will hold elections by December this year.”<\/p>\n
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