South Sudan president dissolves government ahead of December election

President Salva Kiir of South Sudan dissolved the transitional government on Tuesday, immediately following the signing of amendments to election laws. These amendments removed the prerequisites of a permanent constitution and national census before holding an election, a move intended to accelerate the delayed election plans. The transitional government was established under a 2018 peace deal following years of conflict, but repeated delays concerning key benchmarks like a constitution and census have significantly delayed election preparations.

Kiir's office announced the dissolution of the transitional government, as mandated by the electoral process. The country's parliament passed amendments to the National Elections Act on Monday, which were subsequently signed into law by Kiir on Tuesday. As South Sudan entered a critical phase of election preparations, it was noted that voter registration had not yet commenced.

Under the amended law, the incumbent executive leadership continues to hold full constitutional powers throughout the election period until a newly elected president assumes office. Recently, Kiir replaced the head of the elections commission without providing a reason. President Kiir's longtime rival, Riek Machar, who leads the main opposition party SPLM-IO, has been under house arrest since March 2025 and is currently on trial for treason and murder charges, both of which he denies.

The amendments also affect the National Legislative Assembly, reducing its members from 650 to 270. Similarly, state assemblies will shrink from 100 to 58 seats, and legislative councils in administrative areas will have only 20 members.