Parties in for constitution question ahead of inter-party election talks
The importance of having a permanent constitution before the election is emerging as one of the most pressing issues likely to dictate the fate of the 2024 election ahead of the inter-party dialogue.
Some of the parties have held to the assertion that there is a need for a permanent constitution that can provide a legal framework for the exercise, although the remaining timeframe is too short to allow the country to come up with such a document. On the other hand, there is another school of thought among the parties that the election could ride on the amended law that befits the occasion.
In a show with Baraka FM aired on Tuesday, Gai Mayen, a member of parliament and member of the SPLM-IO, stressed the party’s position that a permanent constitution remains vital, although it will take more years to draft.
“We need the constitution that is going to establish all the institutions we need to govern our country; we must have a permanent constitution; that is a must,” he said.
“Before we arrive at the election, we need to have a permanent constitution; we need to unify the forces, etc.,” he added.
He added that it is a must for a country to have a constitution before an election, and that the SPLM-IO party bases their argument from an expert point of view.
“The experts say we need a minimum of 24 months to conduct the process of a permanent constitution. That is what we (South Sudan) need for 24 months if you are to come up with credible elections. It is not us (SPLM-IO) who are saying it,” he said.
Gai averred that the constitution would guide the way the country would be governed and that is something that should come before the polls.
He said that in South Sudan, there is a need to follow due process, adding that it is not a one-day event.
“Election is not an event; it is a process. We cannot wake up one morning and say we are going for an election, especially a national election,” he said.
He added that the National Bureau of Statistics also needs time to some months to conduct a population census.
Gai argued that during the time of the roadmap, the parties implemented some parts of the agreement, adding that with time and commitment, the parties would be able to implement the pending tasks.
“We have not failed to do something; as parties to the agreement, we were able to graduate 53000 and graduate about 5000 to 6000 in phase one,” he said.
But according to Stephen Luol, MP from SSOA, that there are still different views regarding the constitution and the election, hence the need for parties to come together and dialogue.
“Since we are going for an election, we need to dialogue. SPLM-IO may say 24 months to complete the constitution; I may say three years; others may say different things, but we need to come together and have one voice,” he said.
He expressed that the constitution is vital, as is the election.
South Sudan’s Minister of Information, Michael Makuei, said that the decision regarding the forthcoming elections will be made during an imminent meeting involving participating parties.
However, he did not specify the date for the dialogue to start.
Makuei, who addressed the media after a cabinet meeting last week, reiterated the government’s stance, emphasising their commitment to holding elections in December 2024.
While there is overwhelming support for the idea of holding an election in December this year, there are still hanging questions regarding the legal gap that needs to be fixed to allow the exercise. South Sudan currently uses the transitional constitution but the revitalised peace agreement stipulates that the election should be based on the new permanent constitution yet to be drafted.