As South Sudan’s election season draws near, the Political Parties Council, led by Eng. James Akol Zakayo, is intensifying efforts to strengthen cooperation with the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD). The goal is to ensure a smooth electoral process for the country’s post-independence elections.

In a key meeting between the Council’s Chairperson, Eng. James Akol Zakayo, and IGAD’s Special Envoy to South Sudan, Ambassador Ismail Wais, both leaders addressed the challenges hindering the council’s collaboration with IGAD. The discussions centered on improving capacity-building initiatives to support the Council’s operations during and after the election period.

Eng. Zakayo emphasised the Council’s priorities, which include bolstering its human resources, logistics, and ICT departments to enhance its electoral management capabilities, confirming the eligibility of 29 registered political parties to participate in the upcoming elections and secure data storage. Additionally, their discussions touched on the development of an integrated system for managing and storing institutional membership data, a critical step towards ensuring the credibility and transparency of the electoral process.