South Sudan President Salva Kiir has announced the head of the electoral body was removed from the position just three months before the country’s first election JUBA, South Sudan -- South Sudan President Salva Kiir on Tuesday night announced the removal of the head of the East African country's electoral body only three months before the country’s first election. Abednego Akok Kacuol was fired from his position as chairperson of the National Elections Commission without a reason being given publicly by Kiir. He will be replaced by Gabriel Bol Deng Majok, who served as the electoral commission’s secretary general.
Akok, 71, was appointed as chairperson of the electoral body in August 2012 and reappointed in November 2023 after the commission was reconstituted under a 2018 peace agreement that ended a five-year civil war. South Sudan has repeatedly postponed elections since gaining independence in 2011, citing delays in implementing the peace deal. The transitional period and implementation of the 2018 peace agreement has been extended several times.
Under the current road map, the transitional government is expected to be dissolved on Sept. 22 and elections are set for Dec. 22, ahead of the transitional period expiring in February. Experts say the leadership change in the electoral body could impact the elections. Political analyst Abraham Kuol Nyuon, dean of the University of Juba graduate college, said the leadership change could further complicate preparations, including voter registration.
The move also has raised questions over the legal process for the removal of an electoral body chairperson. The National Elections Act sets out a specific procedure and lists grounds for removal including proven partiality, inability to perform duties and gross misconduct. Policy analyst Boboya James Edmond said the decision failed to meet legal requirements.
He warned the decision could add uncertainty to the electoral process. Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan warned last week that elections without safeguards and inclusive political dialogue could fuel renewed conflict.
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