Kiir Replaces Election Chief as December Vote Enters Critical Preparation Phase

JUBA — President Salva Kiir removed National Elections Commission chair Prof. Abednego Akok Kacuol on 15 September and appointed Gabriel Bol Deng Majok as his replacement, changing the leadership of South Sudan’s election-management body during a critical period of preparations for the December polls.

The change was announced on state broadcaster SSBC. No public reason for Akok’s removal was reported. The government has not announced any change to the election date, which remains scheduled for 22 December 2026.

Who is Gabriel Bol Deng Majok?

Majok comes from inside the election administration. Immediately before his appointment, he served as the NEC’s Secretary-General. The commission itself identified Gabriel Bol Deng as Secretary-General in its 2 September statement rejecting false reports that voter registration had already begun.

Contemporary reporting describes him as a senior official involved in electoral infrastructure, voter education and coordination with state authorities. That experience provides institutional continuity, although the chairperson carries broader commission-level responsibilities.

South Sudan Press has not yet verified a sufficiently detailed independent biography covering Majok’s education and earlier public positions and will not fill those gaps with unverified claims.

Why now?

The reason is not publicly known. No reason was given in reporting of the state-broadcast announcement, and SSP has not obtained a published removal instrument explaining the decision. It would therefore be premature to attribute a political or administrative motive to the President.

What can be established is why the timing matters. Only thirteen days before the leadership change, NEC said voter registration had not started and that registration dates, centres and identification requirements would be announced through official channels. The commission was also training state election committees for voter registration.

Akok had chaired the NEC since 2012 and was reappointed when the commission was reconstituted in November 2023. The leadership transition therefore comes while important election operations remain unfinished.

What does this mean for the upcoming elections?

The appointment does not itself cancel, postpone or alter the 22 December polling date. Its practical significance will depend on whether NEC operations continue without interruption and whether outstanding milestones are completed.

Majok’s previous position may reduce disruption because he already knows the institution and its preparations. The measurable questions now concern voter registration, procurement, nominations, voter-list preparation, state-level coordination and publication of the electoral calendar.

Institutional confidence is another issue. NEC’s mandate covers voter registration, civic education, constituencies, campaign regulation, nominations, polling, counting, electoral complaints and declaration of results. A change in its leadership close to polling therefore warrants scrutiny of procedure and independence, without by itself proving interference or illegality.

What does the law require?

The National Elections Act, as amended in 2023, is the governing framework. Reporting on the leadership change says Section 12 specifies grounds and procedures concerning removal of commission members. SSP has not obtained the presidential removal and appointment instruments needed to establish which statutory basis was invoked and whether the applicable procedure was followed.

Until those instruments are available and checked against authenticated statutory text, SSP treats the legality of the removal as an open legal question, not a settled conclusion.

Election clock

What SSP is tracking next

SSP is seeking the presidential instruments, stated grounds and procedure for the removal, handover information, the status of voter-registration preparations and confirmation of who will replace Majok as Secretary-General.