President Salva Kiir announced an election panel that included a deceased politician, drawing criticism
By EAC Post Staff | March 7, 2026
In an embarrassing administrative blunder, President Salva Kiir’s appointment of opposition politician Steward Sorobo Budia to a panel preparing for December elections has backfired after it was revealed that Budia passed away months ago.
The gaffe has drawn widespread criticism and raised serious questions about the government’s capacity to organize credible elections amid ongoing political turmoil.
Opposition Reaction
Opposition leaders have seized on the incident as evidence of the government’s incompetence and lack of seriousness about electoral preparations. “How can we trust them to run elections when they don’t even know who is alive or dead?” asked one opposition spokesperson.
The government has yet to issue a formal response to the controversy, which comes at a sensitive time as international pressure mounts for free and fair elections.
