South Sudan president fires head of electoral body months before country's first election

JUBA, South Sudan (AP) — 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.

“This is a delay tactic,” Kuol told The Associated Press, adding that “the people of South Sudan should forget about the Dec. 22 polls.”

The new chairperson will need time to become familiar with the position and make decisions needed to complete preparations, Kuol said.

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.

“The president has no sole authority under the law in South Sudan to remove the chairperson of the National Electoral Commission unless the detailed procedures are followed,” said Boboya, the chief executive officer of the Institute of Social Policy Research in South Sudan.

He warned the decision could add uncertainty to the electoral process.

“The president is acting now as a referee rather than as a player and participant in the electoral process,” Boboya said.

The U.N. Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan warned last week that elections without safeguards and inclusive political dialogue could fuel renewed conflict.

“The country can move toward elections in a way that deepens division and conflict, or it can use this moment to restore political dialogue, protect civilians and put in place the safeguards needed for a peaceful and credible transition,” said the commission’s chairperson, Yasmin Sooka.