Overview
- President Salva Kiir signed amendments to the National Elections Act that remove requirements linking elections to a permanent constitution and a national census, and the law cuts the national assembly from 650 to 270 seats; the parliamentary vote and presidential assent took place on Sept 22.
- Hours after the amendments were signed, Kiir issued an executive decree dissolving the Revitalized Transitional Government of National Unity, removing vice-presidents and ministers and installing a caretaker cabinet to run key ministries.
- The amended law keeps the incumbent president and executive in office with full constitutional powers through the electoral period, and the president last week replaced the head of the National Elections Commission while voter registration has not yet begun.
- Opposition leaders and the main opposition coalition rejected the moves as unconsultative, and Riek Machar remains under house arrest and on trial on charges he denies, leaving questions about who can contest the December 22 vote.
- Human-rights groups and the UN commission warned that holding elections without broad safeguards, protected civic space and completed preparations could undermine legitimacy and raise the risk of renewed violence, so observers will watch voter registration, candidate access and security on the ground.