JUBA, Nov. 14 — South Sudan’s National Elections Commission (NEC) has postponed the country’s general election from Dec. 22, 2026 to Feb. 11, 2027, citing insufficient time to complete key electoral preparations, the electoral body confirmed on Saturday.
Josephine Achiro Fortelo, spokesperson of the NEC, said the decision followed consultations and careful consideration of the remaining activities required before the country heads to the polls. “From now to Dec. 22, there is not enough time,” Achiro told reporters in Juba, South Sudan’s capital.
She added that outstanding activities include political party nominations, the submission of candidates’ lists and the printing of ballot papers. The spokesperson reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to holding elections, pointing to the ongoing voter registration exercise as evidence of progress in the electoral process.
She said the NEC would continue working with political parties and other stakeholders to facilitate the submission of candidates’ lists and subsequent campaign activities ahead of the February 2027 polls.
The postponement came after the NEC announced Friday that voter registration for the country’s general election would run from Nov. 14 to 28 across all 10 states and three administrative areas.
NEC Chairperson Gabriel Bol Deng told a media briefing that the nationwide exercise will be conducted at 3,161 registration centers. The NEC chairperson said the commission has recruited and trained 22,127 registration officials, and logistical materials have already been dispatched to state and regional capitals for distribution to registration centers.
He expressed confidence that the exercise will finish within the two-week period. South Sudan is preparing for its first general elections since gaining independence in 2011.(Namibia / Xinhua)
