Newly appointed Speaker of the National Legislative Assembly, Joseph Ngere Paciko,- Credit: Madrama James/Eye Radio

South Sudan’s Transitional National Legislature on Wednesday ratified amendments to the Revitalized Peace Agreement, paving the way for national elections to proceed without first completing a permanent constitution and a national population and housing census.

The amendments were approved during the Fourth Ordinary Sitting of the Transitional National Legislature, a joint session of the Transitional National Legislative Assembly and the Council of States chaired by Speaker Joseph Ngere Paciko.

The report on the proposed amendments was presented by the Chairperson of the Specialized Committee on Legislation and Legal Affairs, Hon. Dengtiel Ayuen Kuur, before lawmakers debated and adopted the recommendations.

The decision marks one of the most significant legislative actions since the signing of the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement, removing two key pre-election requirements that had long been cited as major obstacles to holding elections.

Under the revised roadmap, the National Elections Commission and the Political Parties Council can now proceed with preparations for elections, while responsibility for completing the permanent constitution-making process and conducting a national census will be left to the next elected government.

Political realignments reshape debate

Wednesday’s sitting reflected significant political changes within Parliament.

When the amendments were first introduced last month, lawmakers aligned with the SPLM-IO faction loyal to detained First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar walked out of the chamber in protest.

Since then, many of those legislators have been removed from the Transitional National Legislature and replaced by members aligned with the SPLM-IO faction led by Stephen Par Kuol.

The new composition of Parliament saw Stephen Par Kuol’s SPLM-IO lawmakers participate in Wednesday’s debate and support the amendments.

SSOA challenges legality of amendment

Despite broad support from several parties, members of the South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA) rejected the amendments, arguing that they failed to meet the legal requirements for amending the peace agreement.

Bol Joseph Agua, representing the National Democratic Movement (NDM) under the SSOA coalition, said the amendment process lacked the consensus of all principal signatories.

“I rise to object to the submission of the report on legal and procedural basis. The procedure for the amendment… is provided in Article 8.4. The sequence of amendment is clear and straightforward. The parties to the revitalized agreement initiate the amendment, then it is endorsed by the Council of Ministers with a two-thirds majority, thereafter by two-thirds of the voting members of R-JMEC, and finally adopted by the Transitional National Legislature… We must confront realities, not illusions,” Bol told Parliament.

SSOA lawmakers maintained that some principal signatories were not represented during the Cabinet meeting that endorsed the proposal, arguing that altering the implementation matrix of the peace agreement without full political consensus risks undermining both the agreement and its implementation.

SPLM: Elections should not be delayed

The ruling SPLM defended the amendments, arguing that South Sudan should move toward elections instead of extending the transitional period because of unfinished benchmarks.

Hon. Tulio Odengi, leader of the SPLM parliamentary caucus, said the constitution-making process and census remain important but should not prevent citizens from electing a new government.

“The permanent constitution-making process and the population census are both critical national exercises, but they are also complex, resource-intensive and time-consuming. To bind them rigidly to the electoral timeline is only to delay the democratic process,” Odengi said.

Supporters argued that a government elected through the ballot would have the legitimacy and mandate to complete the remaining transitional tasks.

Other parties back proposal

The Stephen Par Kuol-led SPLM-IO faction also supported the amendment.

First Deputy Speaker Ambrose Lomin Pitia said the amendment merely removed the legal linkage between elections, the census and the permanent constitution.

“We are only deleting the provision that links elections to the census and the constitution. From our side, we are going to support and confirm this amendment,” Pitia said.

Representatives of the political group led by Peter Mayen also endorsed the proposal.

“We have nothing much here to debate. The most controversial part has already been addressed. We support this amendment and I move that debate be suspended so we pass it and prepare ourselves for the 2026 elections,” Peter Mayen said.

The National Agenda Party likewise backed the amendment.

Gabriel Guot Guot urged lawmakers to ratify the changes and later incorporate them into the Transitional Constitution.

“My proposal is that we ratify these amendments as presented and afterwards incorporate them into the Constitution. What we are discussing is not a bill but an amendment to the agreement,” Guot said.

Lawmakers representing the Former Detainees (FDs), another signatory to the peace agreement, were present during the sitting but did not contribute to the debate.

Questions over parliamentary procedure

The debate also drew criticism over the management of parliamentary proceedings.

Several lawmakers and observers noted that Speaker Joseph Ngere Paciko recognized considerably more SPLM legislators to speak than members from other political parties.

Most objections came from SSOA lawmakers, while support came from the SPLM, the Stephen Par Kuol-led SPLM-IO faction, Peter Mayen’s political group and the National Agenda Party.

Despite the differing positions, debate lasted about one hour before lawmakers adopted the committee’s recommendations and ratified the amendments.

The decision significantly alters South Sudan’s transitional roadmap by removing the permanent constitution-making process and the national population and housing census as prerequisites for elections.

Supporters say the move provides a practical path toward long-delayed elections and ends years of uncertainty.

Critics, however, warn that changing the implementation sequence without the agreement of all principal signatories could deepen political divisions and raise fresh questions about the inclusiveness and credibility of the electoral process.