JUBA — South Sudan has taken a major step toward the planned December 2026 general elections after President Salva Kiir on Wednesday assented to constitutional amendments aimed at removing key legal obstacles to the conduct of the polls.
The amendment, known as the Transitional Constitution of the Republic of South Sudan, 2011 (Amendment No. 13) Act, 2026, was presented for presidential assent pursuant to Article 85, Section 1 of the Transitional Constitution, as amended.
The bill was passed by the Transitional National Legislature in accordance with Articles 55, Sections 2 and 3 of the Transitional Constitution.
The amendment makes key changes to the country’s constitutional framework, including delinking the permanent constitution-making process and the National Population and Housing Census from the conduct of national elections.
Addressing the media on Wednesday in Juba, Africano Mande Gedima, Minister of Presidential Affairs, said the changes remove key obstacles that could delay the electoral process and allow South Sudanese citizens to exercise their constitutional right to elect leaders and a government of their choice.
“The act amends key provisions of the Transitional Constitution of the Republic of South Sudan, 2011, and specifically delinks the permanent constitution-making process and the National Population and Housing Census from the conduct of national elections,” Mande said.
He said the amendment opens the way for citizens to exercise their sovereign authority through the ballot box, with elections intended to take place in December 2026.
“Thereby removing obstacles and empowering the people of the Republic of South Sudan to exercise their sovereign rights to elect their leaders and government of their choice,” he said.
Mande described the changes as a “historic milestone” that reaffirmed the collective commitment to peace, stability, and constitutional democracy.
“This exercise opens the door for the citizens of the Republic of South Sudan to exercise their ultimate sovereign authority through the ballot intended to be in December 2026.”
The move comes as the government and political parties continue preparations for the long-delayed elections, which have been postponed since the country’s independence amid challenges in implementing the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement.
The constitutional amendment is expected to remove some of the legal and procedural hurdles that had linked the holding of elections to other pending constitutional and population processes.
