If the warring parties sign a peace agreement, the elections will be postponed until the end of the transitional period, an official has said.
Earlier, the Council of Ministers passed a resolution that the general elections will be conducted next year.
“In case the rebels accept and we sign peace before elections, then we will suspend the elections and operationalize the provisions of the agreement,” Michael Makuei, Minister of Information, told Eye Radio’s Sundown program this evening.
“In case the rebels continue to drag their feet, then definitely we are running for elections in 2015 to legitimize the government because the constitutional period of the government is ending on the 9th July 2015.
“If you don’t run elections, then the government there after will become an illegitimate government.”
The minister said all the parties participating in the peace talks in Ethiopia will be allowed to take part in the next elections.
Mr. Makuei also said the current conflict in the country has affected only one third of Upper Nile Region, and it will not affect electoral process.
He said the fighting is confined only to the oil-producing states.