The state assembly in Warrap State has passed a bill to extend the office of the governor for three years.

The bill also extends the mandate of the state assembly until 2018.

MPs passed the motion this morning amid deployment of security forces at the premises of the parliament.

State governor Nyandeng Malek told Eye Radio earlier that the deployment was based on security reports that some people wanted to cause chaos during the debate.

Some people had also protested the move to amend the constitution. They said it would be the confirmation of Ms Nyandeng for more years in office.

There were 45 MPs in the sitting and 34 of them voted for the extension.

Ms Nyandeng has described the controversy behind the amendment of the constitution as a practice of real democracy.

“I feel good because the process of this amendment in Warrap is different from other states,” she said. “It is a real democracy in a way that other MPs were allowed to express fully what they wanted.”

A few states have amended their constitutions.

These include Western Bahr al-Ghazal, Eastern Equatoria, Jonglei and Northern Bahr al-Ghazal States.

Ms Malek has served as governor of Warrap since 25 May 2010, winning with 517,149 votes in the election.

She is the first female state governor in South Sudan.