Coalition of Opposition Parties (COOP) addresses the nation regarding the claim that the National Elections Commission (NEC) has received election funds.

“On behalf of the Coalition of Opposition Parties (COOP) and my own, I would like to categorically reject the claim that the National Elections Commission (NEC) has received election funds. It is propaganda designed to sway away the pressure from the international community to hold those undermining the democratic process in South Sudan accountable. The Parliament still needs to start the debate on the
election budget. Therefore, any speculation of funds without a clear source is a lie and deception.

There is no prospect of elections in December 2024 because inter-communal violence and the presence of numerous militia groups without central command pose a significant threat to the conduct of free, fair, and credible elections in South Sudan. A lack of a clear legal framework for elections and a mechanism to resolve election disputes further makes it impossible for South Sudan to hold elections in 2024.

For Immediate Release April 9, 2024 No Reasonable Fund Received by the NEC .The country has no free civic and political space to facilitate democratic processes. Opposition leaders are being intimidated when exercising their political rights in the country. The SPLM has compromised the Political Parties Council (PPC), and the PPC is now acting on behalf of the SPLM to make registration of political parties impossible. The PPC is intimidating and threatening the survival of opposition parties in the country. Therefore, any preparation deemed for the elections in South Sudan is blatant propaganda intended to deceive the South Sudanese and the international community into accepting their lie and to sway their positions.

South Sudan is now bankrupt both at the leadership and financial levels, making the lives of citizens miserable. It is now the seventh month, and civil servants and organized forces have not received their salaries; families are struggling to access necessities, children are going hungry, many businesses have closed down, and vulnerable communities are on the brink of starvation. The gravity of the current situation in South Sudan demands a swift and comprehensive humanitarian response. Therefore, we implore the UN to recognize and declare the humanitarian catastrophe in South Sudan.”