South Sudan President Salva Kiir on Wednesday assented to constitutional amendments removing requirements for a permanent constitution and a national census to be completed before elections in December.
The Transitional National Legislative Assembly approved the amendments on Tuesday.
The president’s office said the amendment separates the holding of national elections from the completion of the permanent constitution-making process and the national population and housing census, both of which had been cited in the 2018 peace deal as prerequisites for the vote.
The changes come as South Sudan prepares for elections scheduled for Dec. 22, 2026, the first such vote since the country gained independence in 2011. The elections have been repeatedly postponed, most recently in 2024, when the transitional government and opposition agreed to extend the political transition and move the vote to December 2026.
The latest constitutional amendment follows changes to the 2018 peace agreement that were approved by parliament and assented to by Kiir in July. Those changes also removed the requirement for a permanent constitution and a population census to be completed before elections.
The government has said the changes are necessary to remove legal obstacles to the elections. But key challenges remain, including preparations by electoral institutions and funding.
The constitutional amendment is the latest step by the transitional government to put the legal framework for the December vote in place, but it does not by itself resolve the broader political, security and logistical challenges facing the electoral process.
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