Radio Miraya
2827: UN supports South Sudan's Election Committees in preparation for 2026 Polls
Last week, the newly appointed members of all 10 state high election committees in South Sudan met in Juba to strengthen their knowledge of the principles of electoral administration with the support of the United Nations Integrated Electro-Assistant Team, and Ms. and UNDPIM. Now, this workshop aimed to build capacity for election management using the globally recognized breach curriculum. With South Sudan preparing for its electoral processes, this initiative is crucial for ensuring a smooth and fair election. Today, we are glad to be joined by the principal electoral affairs officer within and Ms. Darren Scott, who joins me right now to discuss particularly about the importance of this training and its impact on the country's democracy. Darren, good morning, and it's good to have you on the Miraya breakfast show. Good morning, and it's good to be back. Thank you very much. Thank you for being with us. Just briefly, let's talk about this training. Can you tell us about the breach training and why it is important for South Sudan's upcoming elections? Sure, thank you very much. And maybe just to start with defining what a bridge is for your audience. Bridge stands for Building Resources in Democracy, Governance, and Elections, which is an internationally recognized training module and curriculum for election management bodies and the broader democratic development stakeholders that was originally developed by the Australian Election Commission and the United Nations, among other partners. Bridge is seen now as the premier training tool to serve as part of a broader capacity development program for election administrators and electoral stakeholders around the world. Just currently used by election management bodies across the globe, from the Australian Election Commission to Pakistan, Iraq, Ghana, Liberia, Kenya, to Elections Canada, Mexico, to Bolivia to name a few. The continual building of capacity of electoral management bodies and electoral stakeholders for that matter is important in any country. Let us not forget this is the first election of an independent South Sudan, and South Sudan's electoral management bodies have never administered an election in the life of the sovereign state of South Sudan. And so this bridge training on the introduction to election administration is one of many trainings and capacity development initiatives that the UN, including UNMS, UNDP, and others, are supporting to assist South Sudan in the administration, the preparation, and eventually the implementation of its first electoral process. This bridge training was also conducted to the neck and other civil society representatives back in May and June prior to the appointment of the state high election committees. Great. Now, how does this training have to strengthen the electoral administration, especially in the country, and also at the state levels? Sure. Well, over this month of October, all of the state high election committees from all ten states, as well as a diverse representation of civil society, are involved in this bridge training. In addition to the bridge training, there is an induction workshop that starts tomorrow with the National Elections Commission and the state high election committees that goes further in terms of the specifics in the context of South Sudan and the administrative framework of the election commission, et cetera. This training begins to lay the groundwork for their understanding on the various steps of the electoral cycle, including voter registration, boundary delimitation, the preparations of elections themselves, the timeline sequence, and their important role in the process. And as we look at, of course, the election has been postponed until 2026. What role do the state high election committees or committees rather play in the electoral processes? And are they being prepared now through this workshop? Do you think this is enough time? That's a very good question. And as you know, and the audience, I'm sure, knows that the neck is ultimately responsible for the broader oversight and preparation of the electoral process in accordance with the legal framework of South Sudan through the commission's creation and adoption of policies and regulations and procedures that correspond to the legal framework. The state high election committees, however, have the important task of largely implementing that. You know, the implementation of any electoral process won't happen here in Juba. It'll happen across the country and all the states down to the village in Boma level around the country. And so the state high election committees are the local bodies in charge of the regulatory administration of the process eventually, but also the face and the voice of the electoral process at the local level, regularly engaging with the government, with political parties, with civil society, with the voters themselves, and others to transparently update on the process and in form of the process as it continues. And so, as I mentioned, you know, this is ultimately really the first of what will be many for the state high election committees and their preparedness to administer the electoral process and including voter registration. All right. Let's talk briefly about the integrated election assistant team. Now, how is the United Nation integrated electoral assistant team working with the national and local bodies to ensure a transparent and inclusive electoral process? Thank you very much. And as you allude to the UN and any electoral support, engagement and provision to any country that requests assistance works in an integrated way. So while I represent UNMS, part of the team is UNDP, UN women, UNESCO, and eventually others within the broader UN system of agencies, funds, and programs will work collectively as one umbrella team and support to South Sudan in its quest to accomplish this electoral process. Our initial focus now is on capacity development, planning, supporting and working with the bodies to create and enable an environment to get to elections and build the institutions that are now beginning to lay their foundation, if you will, both from a capacity development and also practically to be able to be in a position to manage the complex electoral process that are to come. Noting also that, you know, this is not only with the National Elections Commission, it also includes the Political Parties Council in CRC and others. Yes. And you did mention at the moment, of course, what you do is the capacity building and the training. Apart from that, what are the types of support that UNMS provide to have into a free, fair, and credible elections? Sure. So the focus now of the UN Integrated Electoral Assistance Team is, as I mentioned, largely in terms of the enabling environment and institution building. Noting that these institutions have largely not been functional or operational at least for the greater part of the last 10 years. And so now we're working with the electoral management bodies and the government at large on awareness raising, on the various processes that need to be aligned, noting that the constitution-making process timeline impacts the election's timeline, for instance, that population data and boundary delimitation and voter registration impact the timeline as well. We also then work with, as I started to allude to, not only the neck and the PPC and the NCRC, but also the Ministry of Justice on the regulatory framework for electoral disputes, with the National Police Service and the broader security sector on election security planning, with media, civil society, political parties, and obviously the public large. We work on legal framework-related issues with the government and also with the National Elections Commission on translating, support to translating the National Elections Act into policies and procedures that will eventually be used for the regulatory framework for the elections and voter registration. We work on the capacity building, as we started to note to. We work directly and through the electoral management bodies with civil society, with political parties, with the media, on their important role in the process itself. In addition to working with our international partners, notably the trilateral, the AU and EGOT, and also the broader international community on coordination of support to the process itself. Yes, great. As you mentioned earlier, at the beginning of this conversation, you did mention this is the first-ever election for an independent South Sudan, of course. You mentioned as well, you work alongside with the civil society organizations and media houses, how are civil society organizations being involved in the overall elections preparation process now? Sure. Civil society plays a crucial role in any country's electoral process, as extended arms of civic and voter information and education, but also as watchdogs and observers to the processes for accountability and building trust in the process itself. The UN is actively engaging and working with civil society directly and bilaterally, as well as through the neck and the PPC and the NCRC and others to ensure that that strong synergy and coordination with civil society starts at the very beginning of this electoral process to reinforce the important role civil society plays in informing the public and ensuring accountability and observing the process itself. Of course, for any election to be successful, the media plays a very crucial role. What role should Mariah and other media houses play for a very successful elections to come in 2026? You're absolutely right. For any electoral process where you have the majority of a country's population engaging in a single event at the same time, it is crucial that people are informed. And so first and foremost, you know, the important role that I think Ray Du Mariah and the broader media of South Sudan is to be informed of the process itself and engage with electoral stakeholders, one from an accountability aspect, but also to inform the public. I think hosting forums for education and information on the electoral process and voter registration and the different thematic areas of any electoral process will be important, but also to host debate and dialogue forums, I think, with civil society, with political parties, with government officials, be that the Ministry of Finance and the important role of financing to the Ministry of Justice on electoral disputes and their important role in the process, to also, obviously, at the local and the national level with the National Elections Commission, Political Parties Council, the NCRC, with the National Bureau of Statistics and others to regularly update and inform the public on the process, the planning, and next steps. Again, both from a voter information standpoint, but also, I think, from an accountability and watchdog aspect that the media plays. Yes, Mr. Darrin, just before you go, what will be your final remarks and message concerning these particular trainings and electoral processes, of course, as we go towards this very, very important and democratic process. I would just say that, you know, the United Nations look forward to continually working with the people of South Sudan and its representatives and government and the electoral management bodies in over the next two years in planning and preparing the South Sudan's first electoral process as a sovereign state, and I appreciate Richard Mariah for having me on for a brief dialogue this morning. I look forward to the next time. Thank you. Thank you. We look forward to the next one, too, to appreciate your time, and that is Mr. Darrin Scott, who is the principal electoral affairs officer within the United in South Sudan. [BLANK_AUDIO]