The National Patriotic Movement (NPM), one of the registered political parties in South Sudan, has endorsed its chairman, Issa Muzamil Sebit Makelele, as its presidential candidate for the country’s general elections on 22 December.
The party’s Secretary-General, Gatkuoth Biel Diet, announced the decision at a news conference in the capital, Juba, on Wednesday.
Diet said the party’s governing council had endorsed Muzamil to contest the presidency. Candidates for other positions, including state governors and members of the national and state parliaments, are expected to be announced next week.
Muzamil welcomed President Salva Kiir’s dissolution of the transitional government on Tuesday, describing it as a necessary step towards general elections.
However, he criticised the composition of the caretaker administration appointed by Kiir, saying most of the officials came from the ruling Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM).
He said registered political parties had not been consulted before the appointments were made.
“Caretaker governors and other officials being appointed should be neutral and not loyal to one political party,” Muzamil said.
The NPM called for equal political space for all parties during the electoral period and warned against the use of public resources for campaigning.
It also called for opposition parties to be allowed to conduct lawful political activities and have fair access to public media.
Muzamil criticised delays in inter-party dialogue, saying key electoral issues had not been adequately discussed before amendments to the National Elections Act were passed.
He said the NPM, which is a registered political party but did not sign the 2018 peace agreement, should be allowed to participate in the dialogue alongside other registered parties.
The party said the dialogue should address political-party funding, security for candidates and parties, a code of conduct for political actors and equal political space ahead of the elections.
It also called for sufficient time for voter registration and publication of the voter register, as well as freedom for political parties and independent candidates to campaign across the country.
On security, the NPM acknowledged that some parts of South Sudan remain inaccessible because of insecurity, but said this should not prevent elections from going ahead.
It urged Kiir to engage armed groups and seek ceasefires to allow citizens to register and participate in electoral activities.
The party also raised concerns about the independence of the judiciary in handling electoral disputes, particularly if Kiir contests the presidential election while serving as president.
Under the amended election law, the incumbent executive leadership remains in office with full constitutional powers throughout the election period, until the next elected president assumes office. The transitional period is scheduled to end in February 2027.
The National Elections Commission says the presidential, parliamentary and other elections are scheduled for 22 December 2026.
Despite its concerns, the NPM said it supports the December elections, describing them as an opportunity for South Sudanese to choose their leaders after years of transitional government.
“The National Patriotic Movement is not designed for one election,” Muzamil said. “We are going to fight for democratic changes in South Sudan, which is not going to end with this December 2026 election.”
Muzamil is a lawyer and former chairperson of the South Sudan Bar Association. He later entered party politics and became chairman of the NPM.
He joins two other politicians who have declared their intention to challenge President Kiir in the December election.
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