2024 South Sudanese general election

Last updated

2024 South Sudanese general election
Flag of South Sudan.svg
←  2010 22 December 2024
Presidential election
  President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama greet His Excellency Salva Kiir Mayardit, President of the Republic of South Sudan (cropped).jpg 3x4.svg
Nominee Salva Kiir Mayardit Bol Gai Deng
Party SPLM KDMP
Incumbent President

Salva Kiir Mayardit
SPLM



General elections are scheduled to be held in South Sudan on 22 December 2024, the first since independence. [1] [2]

Contents

Initially scheduled to be held by 9 July 2015, [3] [4] in light of an alleged coup d'état attempt and continuing conflict in the country this was thrown into doubt, especially since no permanent constitution had been formulated. The South Sudan parliament voted in April 2015 to amend the country's transitional 2011 constitution to extend the presidential and parliamentary term until 9 July 2018, with 264 members in favour and a handful opposing it. [5] It was postponed again to 2021 in July 2018. [6] Following the peace agreement that ended the civil war, a transitional period of three years was agreed on, which would be followed by elections in 2023. [7] In 2022, the transitional government and opposition agreed to move it to late 2024. [8]

Background

Following the independence of South Sudan, Riek Machar was inaugurated as the first vice president to President Salva Kiir. In July 2013, the entire cabinet, including Machar, was dismissed by Kiir on the ostensible reason to decrease the size of government. However, Machar said that this was a step towards dictatorship on the part of Kiir and that he would seek to challenge Kiir for the presidency. [9] In December 2013 a related coup d'état was put down. While civil war ensued, at the end of September 2014 an Intergovernmental Authority on Development-mediated resolution was agreed upon that would lead to the federalisation of the country's governance.

The transitional constitution required the election to be held by 9 July 2015, the date on which the first post-independence presidential term ends. [3] Kiir told the Warrap parliament that a lack of funds to conduct a census and complete the new constitution could result in a delay of the election. This caused doubts as to Kiir's intention to merely hold on to power and was coupled with the dismissal of the Governor of Unity Taban Deng Gai on allegation that he would back Machar in replacing Kiir as the SPLM chairperson and therefore the party’s candidate for the election, though Gai denied this. [3] Since the coup, John Garang's son also mentioned that as the constitutional convention could not write a permanent constitution of South Sudan, the scheduled 2015 date for the election would not be met. [10]

Additionally, the U.S. envoy for Sudan and South Sudan, Donald Booth, held talks with the chairperson of the National Elections Commission, Abednego Akok Kacuol, and the chairperson of the National Bureau of Statistics, Isaiah Chol Aruai, in order to call for sticking to the allotted date and the provision of funds to complete the necessary prerequisites. [4]

The South Sudan parliament voted in April 2015 to amend the country's transitional 2011 constitution to extend the presidential and parliamentary term until 9 July 2018. [5]

Electoral system

The President of South Sudan is elected via the two-round system. If no candidate obtains over half of valid votes cast, another round must be held within 60 days between the two candidates that obtained the most votes. To be eligible for election, a candidate must by a South Sudanese citizen by birth, be "of sound mind", be 40 years of age or older, be literate, and not have been convicted of a criminal offence involving "fraud, dishonesty, or moral turpitude". They must also obtain signatures from 10,000 voters across at least seven states, with at least 200 voters from each state. The same applies for the election of Governors, except only 5,000 voters from at least half of that state's counties (with at least 100 voters from each county) are required.

The 332 members of the National Legislative Assembly shall be comprised in the following manner:

As such, each voter will be given three ballots (one for their constituency, one of women's party lists, and one of general party lists). To be eligible for proportional representation seats, a list must obtain at least 4% of valid votes.

The members of the Council of States are indirectly elected, with each state's legislative assembly appointing five members and each administrative area's legislative council appointing two members.

State legislative assemblies are elected in a similar manner to the National Legislative Assembly, without any appointed seats:

Each candidate (in the case of single-member elections) and party (in the case of party-list elections) is allocated their own electoral symbol, and independent candidates are allowed to stand as long as they have not been a member of a political party for at least three months prior to the election. [11] [12]

Presidential candidates

Announced

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Salva Kiir Mayardit</span> President of South Sudan since 2011

Salva Kiir Mayardit, also known as Salva Kiir, is a South Sudanese politician who has been the President of South Sudan since its independence on 9 July 2011. Prior to independence, he was the President of the Government of Southern Sudan, as well as First Vice President of Sudan, from 2005 to 2011. He was named Commander-in-Chief of the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) in 2005, following the death of John Garang.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Riek Machar</span> South Sudanese politician (born 1952)

Riek Machar Teny Dhurgon is a South Sudanese politician who has served as the First Vice President of South Sudan since 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sudan People's Liberation Movement</span> Political party in South Sudan

The Sudan People's Liberation Movement is a political party in South Sudan. It was initially founded as the political wing of the Sudan People's Liberation Army in 1983. On January 9, 2005 the SPLA, the SPLM and the Government of Sudan signed the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, ending the civil war. SPLM then obtained representation in the Government of Sudan, and was the main constituent of the Government of the then semi-autonomous Southern Sudan. When South Sudan became a sovereign state on 9 July 2011, SPLM became the ruling party of the new republic. SPLM branches in Sudan separated themselves from SPLM, forming the Sudan People's Liberation Movement–North. Further factionalism appeared as a result of the 2013–2014 South Sudanese Civil War, with President Salva Kiir leading the SPLM-Juba and former Vice President Riek Machar leading the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-in-Opposition.

Dr.Lam Akol Ajawin, is a South Sudanese politician of Shilluk descent. He is the current leader of National Democratic Movement (NDM) party. He is a former high-ranking official in the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA), and subsequently became the Foreign Minister of Sudan from September 2005 to October 2007, when the Khartoum government offered the SPLA several other key ministries as part of a peace agreement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Politics of South Sudan</span>

The politics of South Sudan concern the system of government in the Republic of South Sudan, a country in East Africa, and the people, organizations, and events involved in it.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2010 Sudanese general election</span>

General elections were held in Sudan between 11 and 15 April 2010, extended from the original end date of 13 April. The elections were held to elect the President and National Assembly of Sudan, as well as the President and Legislative Assembly of Southern Sudan. The election brought to the end the transitional period which began when the decades-long Second Sudanese Civil War ended in 2005.

John Luk Jok was a South Sudanese politician.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taban Deng Gai</span> South Sudanese politician

Taban Deng Gai is a South Sudanese politician who has been one of the Vice Presidents of South Sudan in the unity government since February 2020. He served as the First Vice President of South Sudan from 23 July 2016 to February 2020. He was mining minister before being appointed as acting first vice president.

Angelina Jany Teny is a South Sudanese politician who served as Minister of Defence since March 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Wani Igga</span> South Sudanese politician

James Wani Igga is a South Sudanese who was the second vice president of South Sudan. He was speaker of the National Legislative Assembly from 2011 to 2013 and secretary general of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement.

The Ministry of Finance and Planning is a ministry of the Government of South Sudan. This ministry was first headed by Honourable David Deng Athorbei after the country gained her independence from Sudan in 2011.The current minister is Awou Daniel Chaug

Telar Ring Deng was a South Sudanese politician and statesman.

Abdallah Deng Nhial is a South Sudanese politician and scholar. He has served in both Sudanese and South Sudanese governments in different positions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Sudanese Civil War</span> 2013–2020 civil war in South Sudan

The South Sudanese Civil War was a multi-sided civil war in South Sudan between forces of the government and opposition forces. In December 2013, President Salva Kiir accused his former deputy Riek Machar and 10 others of attempting a coup d'état. Machar denied trying to start a coup and fled to lead the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-in-Opposition (SPLM-IO). Fighting broke out between the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) and SPLM-IO, igniting the civil war. Ugandan troops were deployed to fight alongside the South Sudanese government. The United Nations has peacekeepers in the country as part of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sudan People's Liberation Movement-in-Opposition</span> Political party in South Sudan

The Sudan People's Liberation Movement-in-Opposition, also known as the anti-governmental forces (AGF), is a mainly South Sudanese political party and rebel group that split from the Sudan People's Liberation Movement in 2013, due to political tensions between President Salva Kiir and Vice President Riek Machar over leadership of the SPLM. Tensions grew between forces loyal to Kiir and Machar and South Sudan plunged into the South Sudanese Civil War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mayiik Ayii Deng</span> South Sudanese politician

Mayiik Ayii Deng is a South Sudanese politician and a former Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, He was appointed into the office following Republican decree by the President removing Beatrice Khamisa Wani in September 2021 and was fired in March 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Mayen</span> South Sudanese politician

Peter Mayen Majongdit also known as Peter Mayen is a South Sudanese politician and the former minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management between March 2020 and November 2022. South Sudan president Salva Kiir Mayardit fired him on 16 November 2022 amid rising hunger across the country's flood and conflict-affected areas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2010 Sudanese general election in Jonglei</span>

Elections were held in Jonglei State on 10–15 April 2010 as part of the 2010 Sudanese general election, with voting for President of Sudan, National Assembly of Sudan, President of Southern Sudan, Southern Sudan Legislative Assembly, Governor of Jonglei State and the Jonglei State Legislative Assembly. The elections were the first in Sudan for over two decades, held in the aftermath of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement between the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) and the Government of Sudan of Omar al-Bashir. The election was carried out in precarious security conditions, with ethnic conflicts prevalent in the state. The elections were won by the SPLM, with the exception of a handful of seats. Disputes over the election results led to the outbreak of two armed insurgencies.

Simon Juach Deng is a South Sudanese politician and diplomat. Simon is currently the Head of Mission of the Embassy of South Sudan in Kampala, Uganda. Mr. Simon was appointed into the ambassadorial position in October 2022 by President Salva Kiir, replacing Simon Duku.

Tumaini Peace Initiative, which was launched on May 9, 2024, in the Kenyan Capital Nairobi, is a high-level mediation seeking everlasting tranquility for the conflict in South Sudan by incorporating all the holdout groups that have not signed the 2018 R-ARCSS. Kenyan President William Ruto, South Sudan President Salva Kiir, and former Kenyan Army Commander and Chief Mediator Major-Gen Lazarus Sumbeiywo are the lead initiative mediators.

References

  1. ↑ "South Sudan electoral body announces election date". Sudan Tribune. 7 July 2024. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
  2. ↑ "NEC declares 22 December 2024 Election Day". Radio Tamazuj. 2024-07-07. Retrieved 2024-07-27.
  3. 1 2 3 "S. Sudan's Kiir admits 2015 elections may be delayed". Sudan Tribune. Archived from the original on 2017-03-07. Retrieved 2013-12-19.
  4. 1 2 "US envoy urges South Sudan to prepare for 2015 elections". Sudan Tribune. Retrieved 2013-12-19.
  5. 1 2 South Sudan parliament extends president's term by 3 years Reuters, 24 March 2015
  6. ↑ @samirasawlani (12 July 2018). "South Sudan: Parliament today voted to extend President Kiir's current term to August 2021- it was meant to end Aug…" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  7. ↑ South Sudan parties agree to form interim government by November 12
  8. ↑ "South Sudan again delays its 1st election, until late 2024". AP NEWS. 2022-08-04. Retrieved 2022-12-22.
  9. ↑ "South Sudan gripped by power struggle". Al Jazeera English. Retrieved 2013-12-19.
  10. ↑ Garang’s son blames President Kiir for conflict Archived 2014-06-04 at the Wayback Machine New Vision, 23 December 2013
  11. ↑ The National Elections Act, 2012. Archived 2024-05-23 at the Wayback Machine .
  12. ↑ The National Elections Act, 2012 (Amendment) Act, 2023. Archived 2024-05-23 at the Wayback Machine .
  13. ↑ "South Sudan's Kiir to run in first-ever presidential election". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2024-01-18.
  14. ↑ "South Sudan president says he will be a candidate in long-delayed elections set for 2024". AP News. 2023-07-05. Retrieved 2024-01-18.
  15. ↑ Bol Gai Deng, Presidential Candidate for South Sudan Kush Democratic Majority Party
  16. ↑ Ninrew, Chany (2023-04-09). "Mayen Majongdit declares candidacy for S. Sudan president". Eye Radio. Retrieved 2023-08-14.
  17. ↑ Ninrew, Chany (2023-07-17). "Mayen Majongdit reaffirms intention to run for J1". Eye Radio. Retrieved 2023-08-14.
  18. ↑ Joshua, Elvince (2023-04-09). "Peter Mayen to 'run' for Presidency". The City Review South Sudan. Retrieved 2023-08-14.
  19. ↑ "Mayen reaffirms intention to run for president, says SPLM 'has never been honest'". Sudans Post. 2023-07-17. Retrieved 2023-08-14.
  20. ↑ "Common People's Alliance leader dispels briefcase party claims". Radio Tamazuj. Retrieved 2024-01-18.
  21. ↑ Ninrew, Chany (2023-09-19). "Ex-Red Army Foundation boss Deng Aruei intends to run for president". Eye Radio. Retrieved 2024-01-18.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.