By William Madouk
South Sudan’s Transitional National Legislature has approved sweeping amendments to the 2018 peace agreement, removing two key pre-election requirements in a move lawmakers say will fast-track the country’s long-delayed general elections scheduled for December 2026.
The amendments, ratified on Tuesday during a sitting chaired by Speaker Joseph Ngere Paciko, defer the national population and housing census and the permanent constitution-making process until after elections, leaving both tasks to an elected government.
This comes after the presentation of a report by the Chairperson of the National Legislature Committee on Legislation and Legal Affairs, Dengtiel Ayuen Kuur, who urged lawmakers to approve the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS), 2018 (Amendment) 2026.
Parliament spokesperson Oliver Mori described the amendments as a major milestone towards holding what would be South Sudan’s first general elections since independence in 2011.
“Today, the parliament, chaired by the Right Hon Speaker Joseph Ngere Paciko, ratified two important amendments of the R-ARCSS. And these two important amendments are in relation to pave the way for the conduct of credible elections in the Republic of South Sudan by December 2026,” Mori told journalists.
He said the amendments remove two of the biggest hurdles that had delayed preparations for the polls.
“The two main items amended or delinked from the R-ARCSS include the issue of the census and the issue of the planned constitution-making process in the Republic of South Sudan.”
According to Mori, both activities will now be carried out after elections by a newly elected government.
“These two have been deferred until the elections are conducted and it will be done by the elected government. So, by this resolution, it has now paved the way for the Election Commission to speed up and the political parties to speed up their activities so that they are in time for the conduct of the election.”
Mori said the ratification has now removed uncertainty surrounding the electoral process.
“After the ratification, it has paved the way. It has now become clear to the Election Commission and the council of parties that register the parties, they now know that there is no obstacle before them in carrying out their mandate as it is prescribed by the laws.”
MP Dengtiel Ayuen Kuur, who chairs the Committee on Legislation and Legal Affairs, presented a detailed report explaining the proposed amendments.
He said that the amendments were permitted under Article 8.4 of the peace agreement, which allows changes through the constitutional amendment process.
Key changes to the peace agreement
The amendments introduce several significant changes to the implementation of the peace agreement.
Under the new Article 1.2.5, the Transitional Constitution must be amended within two months after the peace agreement is amended, separating it from the permanent constitution-making process.
The revised Article 1.2.14 states that the elected government shall conduct a national population and housing census, effectively removing the census as a condition before elections.
The amended Article 1.20.5 requires the National Elections Commission (NEC) to organize elections 60 days before the end of the transitional period.
The new Article 1.20.6 requires the National Elections Act to be amended within two months after amendments to the Transitional Constitution.
Meanwhile, Article 1.20.10 reduces the period for publishing the voters’ register from six months to three months before election day.
Parliament also approved the deletion of Article 6.4 of the peace agreement and amended parts of Annex D, the implementation matrix, to align with the revised electoral timeline.
Election preparations accelerate
The parliamentary endorsement marks one of the most significant legal changes to the peace agreement since it was signed in 2018.
Supporters of the amendments argue that removing the census and permanent constitution requirements eliminates major obstacles that could have pushed elections beyond the planned December 2026 deadline.
The decision now places greater responsibility on the National Elections Commission, political parties and other electoral institutions to accelerate voter registration, civic education and other preparations for the country’s first democratic elections in more than a decade.
However, the changes are expected to spark debate among some opposition groups, civil society organizations and peace agreement stakeholders, who have previously argued that completing a national census and adopting a permanent constitution would strengthen the credibility and inclusiveness of the electoral process.
With Parliament having ratified the amendments, the legal framework for the elections has been significantly reshaped, shifting the country’s focus from negotiating timelines to preparing for a vote that could mark a historic turning point in South Sudan’s political transition.