South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"
By Simon Deng
The Commissioner at National Election Commission (NEC) has announced that the Commission will soon begin civic education initiatives nationwide in preparation for the upcoming 2026 general election.
Thabo Abosuh Ajang, the NEC Commissioner, said that the training on inclusive elections aims to enhance civic education and leverage digital tools for democratic engagement.
“We are currently in the civic education phase; we have a role in organising democratic elections. We will ensure that 35 per cent of participants are women and that elections are conducted transparently,” said Ajang during the conclusion of a three-day intergenerational dialogue on inclusive elections.
Noel Kaiga Joseph, the Programme Officer at Space Organisation, noted that the dialogue aims to bolster youth participation in elections and civic life. He added that the successful conduct of the 2026 general election requires the demarcation of geographical constituencies.
“Elections cannot occur without proper delimitations, which involve the demarcation of constituencies. If we do not establish these boundaries by December, it will be impossible to hold the elections,” said Joseph.
“In the electoral cycle, we have only developed the framework; we have not yet progressed to the subsequent stages, and we are significantly behind. We urge the government and partners to provide the election commission with funding to support their activities,” he added.
The intergenerational dialogue on inclusive elections, supported by the European Union, was organised by the United Nations Integrated Team and Democracy Reporting International under the theme: “Removing barriers to the participation of women, youth, minorities, and persons with disabilities.”
