The Council of ministers chaired by Vice President James Wani Igga on Friday agreed that general elections initially set for June 30 would not take place as planned.
Government Spokesperson Michael Makuei Lueth told the press in Juba after their ordinary sitting that the government found it inappropriate to continue with the elections after its commitment to ‘agree and operationalize’ the agreement.
He said the cabinet decided to call off the elections and extend the lifespan of the elected positions to July 9, 2017 to give peace a chance.
The council’s decision followed a day after the High Court set March 3 as the date to hear a petition filed by 18 political parties against the National Elections Commission.
The petitioners say elections cannot be conducted without a permanent constitution in place.