Briefing Paper

Democratic Elections in South Sudan

This week’s Review analyzes South Sudan’s readiness to conduct elections in under a year and reflects on why they are important. We start out with the discussion of the election’s fundamentals, then move to why elections are imperative in a post-conflict context. We then end our Review with policy perspectives that have the potential of improving/strengthening the process, preserving its integrity, and delivering credible and legitimate results, regardless of whether the elections will be conducted on time. Our stance is that the process, credibility, and associated legitimacy the elections need to produce are the most important elements rather than precise timing.