The Monytiik Community in Abinajok payam of Rumbek Central County, Lakes State, has elected a new paramount chief after a two-day vote.
Sultan Malok Malual Malok was declared the winner with 63.3% of the vote, defeating the long-serving chief, Sultan Lueth Marial Buoc, who received 36.7%. The election for the paramount chief was contested, while other executive and sub-chief positions were filled uncontested.
The vote was held Wednesday and Thursday under the oversight of the state electoral committee. Akec Machek, the committee’s chairperson and secretary general for the state secretariat in Lakes State, said the process was guided by the Local Government Act of 2009.
“The local government act is the law of the country,” Machek said. “That’s why I am here with respective judges to guide and monitor this chieftaincy election.”
A total of 2,265 registered voters participated, a figure officials said excluded soldiers, underage children, intellectuals and outsiders. Malok received 1,433 votes to Buoc’s 832.
Peter Maliap Chieny Malok, a community intellectual, described the election as “free, fair and transparent.” He said the new Abinajok payam was established just months ago by Lakes State Governor Rin Tueny Mabor, who authorized the community to elect its own leaders.
“We don’t want problem. We don’t want grievances among us,” he said. “We are one people.”
However, observers noted logistical challenges.
Daniel Laat Kon, a coordinator for the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization, told Radio Tamazuj that the preparation time was too short and that the high fees required for candidates — 5 million South Sudanese pounds for paramount chief — were a burden amid the country’s economic crisis.
He also cited a lack of secret voting, with voters lining up publicly behind their preferred candidate, a practice he said could create animosity.
“This kind of voting, while exposed, can create enmity within the community,” Kon said. He urged the state to schedule future elections outside the December festive season to allow better preparation and reduce post-election stress.
Commissioner Dut Manak of Rumbek Central county warned community intellectuals against stirring post-election tensions.
“I am determined tonight to arrest anybody who attempts to create animosity and problem in the community,” Manak said. “I have authority to arrest anybody who wants to interfere.”
Despite the concerns, voter Liap Makoi Makuec said the process brings hope for development in the new payam.
“This will give us hope as a community to accelerate development and progress,” he said.
Traditional chiefs are pivotal figures in South Sudan, acting as custodians of customary law, mediators in local disputes, and key intermediaries between the central government and rural communities. Their authority, derived from tradition and community consent, often complements the formal state administration, especially in conflict resolution and land management.
The Local Government Act (2009), which governed this election, formally recognizes this dual system, integrating traditional authorities into the local government structure.