The African Union Mission in South Sudan together with the Intergovernmental Authority on Development and the United Nations Mission in South Sudan have urged the signatory parties to urgently implement the pending provisions of the 2018 revitalized peace deal.
“Greater political will, trust and pragmatism from all sides will be essential to reach agreement on key decisions that urgently need to be taken to ensure peaceful, credible and inclusive election can be conducted within the existing time frame,” said a joint statement issued by AU, IGAD and UNMISS in Juba on Thursday.
They urged the government to finalize the reconstitution of the National Elections Commission, National Constitutional Review Commission and the Political Parties Council with urgency in accordance with existing legal framework and to increase the momentum in implementing all remaining benchmarks outlined in the agreement.
President Salva Kiir last week reappointed Abednego Akok as the chairperson of the National Elections Commission and his deputy Michael Yabagayo.
The Political Parties’ Council is chaired by James Akol Zakayo, deputized by Lona Loduro and Peter James Lemi as the Executive Secretary of the reconstituted Political Parties’ Council.
Meanwhile, the AU,UNMISS and IGAD said the parties are remaining with only 7 months to complete the constitutional making process and yet the country is set to hold national elections in December 2013.