How South Sudan is Doing on the Democratic Front
Today the National Elections Commission Chairman announces preparations for general elections without specifying when those elections are going to be conducted. This announcement comes on the heels of another announcement by the President that general elections slated for 2015 may be delayed following Addis Ababa peace accord that calls for the transitional government before preparations for the election.
The president’s suggestion is not received well by the rebel leader, Riek Machar and his position is yet to be known on this issue. His position on the issue may only be clear after scheduled negotiations to first of all resolve the conflict among the parties on the same venue in Addis Ababa.
However, the president may be right on this issue because there are very important steps to be taken right after a final peace agreement that may take several months or years to negotiate.
One reason why some South Sudanese are fighting in the bush is the issue of democracy. They think that it is their objective to bring about change through the barrel of a gun and to organise the country democratically later.
So, democracy is on the lips of every politician not only in South Sudan but also in the whole African continent. Winston Churchill, the war time British prime minister summed up democracy in the following phrase:
“It has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried” Winston Churchill.
Now you can see why the whole world craves democracy even if your country has no infrastructure and elements for it. The first element for democracy is election. This is the reason why countries organize them to legitimise the otherwise undemocratic incumbent governments. Other elements of democracy are equality before the law, freedom and rule of law which can result in good governance.
South Sudan is not well placed on the democratic path as we speak. Since 2010 elections, no single election whether general or by-election have been conducted. The term of the current SPLM led government has automatically been extended to 2015 after independence. The members in the defunct government of National Unity (GoNU) in Khartoum have also been arbitrarily lumped into the independence South Sudan parliament with no constituent representation. This is one way democracy is mocked in South Sudan.
As already mentioned, another extension is highly likely considering the current state of affairs the country is in. this is going to extend the tenures of acting State Governors who were appointed to fill posts vacated by incumbent governors for various reasons including reassignment to ministerial positions in the national government in Juba.
Because of these relieves and reassignment, the country’s States are now forty per cent (40%) undemocratic. Jonglei, Unity, Northern Bahr El Ghazal and Lakes are headed by appointed caretaker governors. There stay beyond a sixty (60) without organising by-elections is in violation of the supreme law of the land, the South Sudan Transitional Constitution (SSTC).
To come through elections is now more difficult than to come through the barrel of a gun. Instances abound for this observation. The militia route according to SPLM government is the only easy route to come to power. Many militias have been integrated and given prestigious positions of power in the government and the army to the disadvantage of those who remain faithful.
The faithfuls are however, always on the receiving end on behalf of the incumbent government. They are killed, displaced, starved and lost dignity. Those in the government and the army remain in the same situation devoid of progress.
Therefore, South Sudan is now ailing and may soon be on the deathbed of democracy
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