South Sudan: No General Election in 2015?

September 11, 2013 (JUBA) – A senior official of South Sudan’s government has hinted that the 2015’s countrywide elections may not take place if the exercise will be based on the constitutional requirement for a population census as a prerequisite. Isaiah Chol Aruai, chairman of the National Bureau of Statistics, on Wednesday told the UN sponsored Miraya FM radio that he was afraid his institution will not succeed to conduct the census before 2015 due to lack of logistics.

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My opinion is that this isn’t a breaking news to most analysts of political developments/maueverings in South Sudan. South Sudan’s next general election in 2015 faces the same uncertainties as those of the planned plebiscite in Abyei. While the referendum in Abyei is scheduled for October this year, the groundwork laws and regulations about and  on the conduct of the exercise are yet to be decided by Juba and Khartoum.

Few people, if any, expect the Abyei referendum to occur in October 2013.

Similarly, for the next General Election in South Sudan, the necessary laws and regulations such as the conduct of general census and a ratification of a permanent constitution are yet to be finalized, not to mention their promulgations.

Logistics, bureaucratic malaise and political ambivalence are blamed for the delayed.  The status quo that has given the President, governors etc. Unlimited terms in office is too much, too good, and a once-in-a-while opportunity, to be so easily discarded by the power that be.

Parliament, courtesy of the former Justice Minister John Luk Joak, gave the president such unlimited powers that he can now, constitutionally, appoint and dismiss anyone within the borders of the Republic, including the elected honorable members of parliament and governors.

President Kiir, in a rare zeal not to be found in other areas of his responsibilities, has been able to maximally exercise his unfettered powers, making casualty of the very man, John Luk, who crowned him.

Of course, some MPs, members of civil society and the general public have been quick to claim that president Kiir is a dictator, yet he is simply exercising his constitutional powers that these same guys freely and happily bestowed upon him. Where were they and what were they thinking when the transitional constitution was passed in the Republic of South Sudan?

PURE HYPOCRISY!

Now, 2013, two years to 2015, no one is talking about the inevitability of the impossibility of holding a general election in 2015. Yet, if and when the time comes, many among the MPs, civil society and the public would be up in arms accusing the president of being a dictator who wants to reign forever.

But where are those DEMOCRATS now? SPLM Convention? National Census? New Permanent Constitution? Funding? Reining in the unfettered powers of the president Etc.?

Just imagine, even the ruling party, SPLM, is yet to register as a political party in the Republic of South Sudan, technically making it illegal for it to have run in the last presidential election.

Forewarned is forearmed, Isaiah Chol could be testing the waters, who knows!

Hail Dikteta Kiir!

It is the government THEY DESERVE!

PaanLuel Wel.

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South Sudan electoral body confirms lack of fund to run 2015 elections