Kiir pledges ‘fair and free’ elections as AU C5 raises concerns

South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir has told African Union and regional leaders that his government is doing its best to prepare for free and fair elections due in December.

Kiir was speaking during a virtual meeting on Tuesday with the African Union’s High-Level Ad Hoc Committee on South Sudan, known as the C5, and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD).

He said the legal steps required for the elections had been completed and that administrative, logistical and financial preparations were under way.

“The legal steps towards elections have been achieved,” Kiir said. “All the relevant amendments have been passed.”

He said the transitional unity government and parliament had been dissolved, while preparations for voter registration and election security are continuing.

“The assembly has also been dissolved. The administrative, logistic, and financial steps are also going on,” he said.

Kiir said 2,508 voter registration centres had been assessed as part of the preparations for the elections in December.

He added that voter registration books had been approved and printed and are being distributed to the states.

“The necessary security steps are also progressing well,” he said.

Kiir also said the inter-party dialogue on election-related matters had begun the previous week and is progressing well.

“I want to conclude by assuring you that we are doing our very best to conduct a fair and free election,” he said.

He said the vote would give South Sudanese the opportunity to choose their own leaders.

“This will give a chance to our people to vote for their own leaders that they deserve,” he said.

But South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, who chairs the African Union’s C5, said South Sudan’s 2018 peace agreement remains the country’s “paramount legal instrument”.

He urged all parties to comply with the 2018 peace agreement and avoid unilateral measures that could undermine it.

Ramaphosa said progress had been made towards the elections but “many challenges and tremendous work” remain.

South Sudan is due to hold general elections on 22 December, its first national vote since independence in 2011.

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