South Sudan: Kiir retains full powers, vice presidents must depart

Salva Kiir enacted an electoral law reform on Monday, September 21, that allows him to remain in the presidency with all his constitutional powers during the electoral period. The same legislation stipulates that the first vice president and the four other vice presidents must leave their positions three months before the election.

The Parliament approved the bill before the head of state signed it a few hours later. September 22 marks exactly three months before the general election scheduled for December 22, placing the provisions regarding the executive at the center of political discourse in Juba.

The reform also removes the conditions that tied the holding of elections to the completion of a permanent constitution and the conduct of a national census. This allows the National Electoral Commission to continue preparations without waiting for the conclusion of these two processes.

The South Sudan Opposition Alliance, an opposition coalition, contests the method used. It argues that the amendments to the 2018 peace agreement, the transitional constitution, and the electoral rules were made without the necessary consultation among the signatories.

This challenge comes as the election is set to conclude a transition that has been extended multiple times. The December 22 elections would be the first national elections held in South Sudan since the country gained independence in 2011.

On September 2, the National Electoral Commission indicated that voter registration had not yet begun and that no electoral register existed. It noted that training for electoral officials and the identification of registration centers were ongoing in the states and administrative areas.