 Bill, 2026 into law, hours after the Transitional National Legislative Assembly passed the amendment bill on Monday.){kind=link}
By: Ginaba Lino
President Salva Kiir Mayardit has signed the National Elections Act, 2012 (Amendment) Bill, 2026 into law, hours after the Transitional National Legislative Assembly passed the amendment bill on Monday.
The President’s signing comes one day before September 22, marking the beginning of the three months preceding South Sudan’s planned December 22, 2026 general elections.
The signing marks a major legal step in preparations for the elections, following parliamentary deliberations on the size and composition of the next National Legislative Assembly and arrangements for the transitional executive during the electoral period.
The amended law harmonizes the National Elections Act with the Transitional Constitution and provides an updated legal framework for the upcoming elections.
The legislation was debated in several stages, with more than 25 lawmakers participating in the deliberations.
Speaking after the sitting, Transitional National Legislative Assembly spokesperson Oliver Mori Benjamin said the central issue during the final stage of debate was the number of members to be elected to Parliament.
Mori said 12 lawmakers contributed during the third reading, with seven supporting a 270-member parliament, while five supported the alternative figure of 332 members.
“So if we are considering the number of members who participated in the third reading, what was carried by Parliament is not 332, but 270 as an amendment,” Mori said.
He said the decision means 270 elected members will be contested for in the forthcoming elections.
Mori also addressed the issue of the Council of States, saying its current composition would remain because the proposed change did not originate from the original bill.
He said any contrary decision would fall under the mandate of the National Elections Commission.
On the transitional government, Mori said the partial dissolution and the size of a caretaker cabinet would ultimately be determined by the President.
“The decision on how many members will be in that caretaker cabinet will be the decision of the incumbent President,” he said.
Mori said Parliament had fulfilled its responsibility by passing the bill, which was then submitted to the President for assent.
With the President’s signature, the amendment has now become law as the country approaches the September 22 deadline and the three months before the scheduled elections.
Civil society has welcomed the passage and signing of the amended Elections Act while urging political leaders to ensure a peaceful, credible and inclusive electoral process.
Edmond Nyekani, Executive Director of the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO), described the development as significant.
“Today, the amendment of the National Election Act is historical and first of its kind in our history to see an amendment of a law done today and the same law is signed into law,” Nyekani said.
He welcomed the political commitment demonstrated through the passage and signing of the legislation but called for similar commitment toward peace and stability.
Nyekani urged political leaders and armed groups to resolve disagreements through dialogue and avoid a return to violence.
“Our appeal to the political class and the gun class: don’t return us to war. Sort out your discontented political position through non-violent means and through dialogue,” he said.
He said civil society remains concerned about fairness, credibility, equal political space and civilian protection during the electoral process.
Nyekani also called for equal political space for all actors and urged leaders to remember the consequences of the 2013 conflict.
“Embrace inclusive dialogue where you can generate national consensus for the sake of peace and stability for the common citizen of South Sudan,” he said.
South Sudan’s National Elections Commission has set December 22, 2026, as the date for the general elections.
The signing of the amended Elections Act now provides an updated legal framework for the electoral process as the country approaches the expected transition to elections.