The People’s Democratic Movement (PDM) will begin selecting candidates this week for December elections, with party leader Josephine Lagu Yanga expected to be nominated as its presidential candidate, a party official said on Tuesday.
Okello Odonto Olawiri, the PDM’s secretary for information and public relations, told Radio Tamazuj that the selection process would be conducted state by state, with results expected next week.
“We will announce officially from tomorrow, or Thursday, the official commencement of the programs. We will start it state by state,” Olawiri said.
The party has established state electoral committees and will begin by selecting its presidential candidate before moving on to gubernatorial candidates, he said.
“We will start with the presidency, we will go for the governors,” he said.
The PDM plans to field candidates for the presidency, governorships in the country’s 10 states and three administrative areas, the national parliament, state legislative assemblies and administrative area legislative councils.
However, it may not nominate candidates for every governorship, depending on the availability of suitable contenders, Olawiri said.
“We are not going to fill all the governors in all the ten states, but maybe some few states will be left out, or one or two administrative areas also will be left out, depending on the ability and the credible leaders that will be available in that particular state,” he said.
Selection criteria
Unlike the ruling SPM, which is conducting internal elections, the PDM will use its own procedures to select candidates, Olawiri said.
He said the process would be guided by principles of integrity, public service, respect for the constitution and inclusivity, with equal opportunities for young people, women and persons with special needs.
Candidates would also be assessed on their competence, experience and plans for peace, service delivery and national development, he added.
“We have made it in a way that our selections will be a bit different from the structure of the SPLM. If you see our documents, we have laid out principles that are supposed to be followed,” he said.
The party is reorganising its state secretariats, which will play a role in the selection process, he added.
“We have already reorganized our state secretariat,” he said.
Lagu’s political background
Lagu served as minister of agriculture and food security before becoming vice-president representing the South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA) in February 2025. President Salva Kiir dismissed her from the post in February 2026.
The PDM is a constituent member of an SSOA faction, but it remains unclear whether other parties within the faction will also field candidates in the December elections.
South Sudan is scheduled to hold general elections on Dec. 22, 2026, but concerns are growing over possible delays as preparations lag behind schedule.
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