NAIROBI, Dec. 10 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations on Tuesday commended South Sudan's technical progress toward the conduct of its first long-awaited elections since independence, which are expected to be conducted in 2026.

Nicholas Haysom, special representative of the UN Secretary-General for South Sudan and head of the UN Mission in South Sudan, said over the past couple of weeks, the National Elections Commission (NEC) has embarked on a series of activities geared toward the elections.

Haysom said the NEC is committed to developing a clear timeline for electoral operations that will enable them to deliver credible elections by December 2026.

"This detailed timetable will outline not only the political decisions needed for the NEC to fulfill its responsibilities but also the legal, financial, and technical requirements to fully implement elections within the timeframe," Haysom told reporters in Juba, the capital of South Sudan.

He said the NEC has spotlighted the necessity to start immediate preparations for voter registration even though the logistics-heavy exercise underpins the entire concept of democratic elections.

"The NEC has, therefore, unequivocally stated that key political, operational, and resourcing decisions linked to voter registration and elections must be taken as soon as possible so that the actual process of registering voters and preparations for elections can start," Haysom said.

He noted that, from the UN perspective, comprehensive voter registration creates space for all citizens, including the most vulnerable, and also reaches all ethnic and other communities to come together in the shared enterprise of building a better future.

The UN official urged the NEC to start planning the electoral process, such as, for example, what aspects of the electoral systems will be used for different elections, how internally displaced persons, refugees, and South Sudanese living abroad will participate, and how electoral disputes will be settled.

He added that realistic timelines for the publication of results and the conditions for registering political parties are also needed.

South Sudan is expected to hold its first-ever elections in December 2026 since independence in 2011. The elections have already been postponed several times due to a lack of proper preparedness and a shortfall in funds to run the process. Enditem

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