Nov 19, 2021 — Addressing critical issues to the delegation of the United Nations Security Council in Juba on Thursday, South Sudan president Salva Kiir takes credit for pushing the citizens and the opposition parties to prepare for elections in 2023.
According to president Kiir, who hardly talks about elections, he shouldn’t be the one pushing the opposition parties and the citizens to prepare for elections since he is the president.
“H.E. President Salva Kiir Mayardit said he has been calling and urging the people and the parties to prepare for the elections and yet he is the President but he hope and expects everyone to be ready for elections by 2023.” Reads part of the statement from J1.
The South Sudanese president, who found his way into presidency following the controversial death of the late Dr. John Garang de Mabior in 2005, has never held elections since he came to power and this could be his first elections; however, it is less likely that the elections will be conducted in 2023.
South Sudan has missed the first opportunity to conduct elections in 2015 and since then president Kiir has been extending his terms through parliament and peace agreements.
With the current peace agreement, which ended in September, 2021 but extended, officially ending in 2022, South Sudan hopes for an election in 2023 but that remains to be seen.
