Election Commission Acquires Permanent Headquarters

(JUBA)– The National Elections Commission (NEC) has announced that it has acquired former Aida International Hotel in Juba as the commission’s first permanent headquarters as preparations for the country’s anticipated elections gather pace.

Speaking during a press conference on Monday, NEC Chairperson Abednego Akok Kacuol said the acquisition marks a milestone for the institution, which previously operated without a permanent home.

“The payment for Haida Hotel has been completed and it is now owned by the Election Commission of South Sudan,” Akok said. “This is a very good, a big achievement for us as South Sudanese that there is a building for the Election Commission forever. It will exist for generations to come.”

The NEC chief thanked the government for supporting the purchase, describing the new headquarters as a lasting national asset that will strengthen the commission’s institutional capacity.

Akok revealed that the commission has so far paid $4.5 million for the property, with an additional $1.5 million yet to be settled.

The acquisition of a permanent headquarters comes as the NEC seeks to demonstrate progress in its readiness for the country’s first elections since independence in 2011.

South Sudan is expected to hold elections in December 2026 under the roadmap of the revitalized peace agreement.

However, there has been growing domestic and international scrutiny over South Sudan’s ability to organize credible polls within the agreed transitional period.

The National Elections Commission was reconstituted under the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS) to prepare and conduct the country’s elections.

The planned polls are viewed as a key milestone in the implementation of the peace agreement and the transition from the current unity government to an elected administration.