President Salva Kiir is expected to dissolve South Sudan’s transitional government at midnight on Tuesday, Information Minister Ateny Wek Ateny has announced.

Ateny said the move is intended to prevent a constitutional vacuum when the current mandate of the transitional unity government expires tonight.

“The transitional government is coming to an end at midnight,” he told journalists.

“In order for a constitutional vacuum not to happen, the president has the prerogative of dissolving the government tonight.”

He added that a new caretaker government would then be put in place to oversee the country’s planned elections.

Ateny explained that the 2018 peace agreement requires the transitional government to end three months before the elections, and that the three-month period expires tonight.

His comments came a day after parliament passed an amendment to the election law.

Ateny said President Kiir had signed the legislation into law, giving him the authority to dissolve the government.

Security has been tightened in parts of the capital, Juba, ahead of the expected announcement.

Ateny said the deployment is intended to protect civilians and their property.

“There is nothing to worry about,” he said.

South Sudan is due to hold general elections on 22 December, although preparations for the vote have been delayed and political disagreements remain over the electoral process.