South Sudan’s Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister Wek Mamer Kuol on Monday, August 17, 2026, tabled a constitutional amendment bill in Parliament aimed at removing legal obstacles to elections scheduled for December 22, 2026.
The Transitional Constitution Amendment Bill seeks to separate the permanent constitution-making process and the national population and housing census from the elections, allowing the vote to proceed while those processes continue.
The Cabinet approved the bill on August 7, at a meeting chaired by President Salva Kiir. The proposed amendments follow changes to the 2018 peace agreement approved by parliament in July, which removed requirements for a permanent constitution and national census to be completed before elections.
Parliament’s Information Committee chairperson, Oliver Mori Benjamin, said the bill had been referred to the Committee on Legislation and Legal Affairs for scrutiny. The committee is expected to report back within 30 days. The proposed amendments also provide for a five-year presidential term.
The Government is pressing ahead with preparations for the December 22 elections despite opposition and international concerns over security, electoral preparedness and implementation of the peace agreement. The main opposition SPLM-IO has challenged the timetable and objected to changes to the agreement.
International partners, including the United States, Britain, Norway, Germany, France, Canada, Japan, Switzerland, the Netherlands and the European Union, have also criticised unilateral changes to the 2018 peace agreement and called for a more inclusive electoral process.