South Sudan tables constitutional amendment to facilitate 2026 elections

South Sudan’s Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister, Wek Mamer Kuol, has tabled a constitutional amendment bill in parliament to facilitate elections scheduled for December 22, 2026. The proposed legislation seeks to decouple the election timeline from the completion of a permanent constitution and a national population and housing census, allowing the vote to proceed while those processes continue separately.

The bill, which was approved by the cabinet under President Salva Kiir on August 7, follows recent parliamentary changes to the 2018 peace agreement that also removed requirements for a completed census and permanent constitution prior to voting. Additionally, the amendment proposes a five-year term for the elected president.

The move has faced significant pushback. The SPLM-IO, the primary opposition movement, has rejected the current timetable and criticized the modifications to the 2018 peace agreement. Furthermore, several international entities, including the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, and Canada, have expressed concerns regarding the unilateral changes to the peace deal and have called for a more inclusive electoral process and improved security conditions.