President Salva Kiir Mayardit on Monday signed amendments to South Sudan’s election law into force, just hours after parliament passed them, clearing the way for elections scheduled for 22 December.

The amended National Elections Act, 2012, allows the incumbent president to remain in office and exercise full constitutional powers during the election period. It also requires the First Vice President and the other vice presidents to leave office within three months before the election.

The legislation was passed by the Transitional National Legislative Assembly on Monday and immediately forwarded to the President for assent. His swift signing comes as South Sudan approaches a critical stage in preparations for its first general election since independence in 2011.

Minister of Presidential Affairs Africano Mande Gedima said the amendments were intended to harmonise the existing election law with the Transitional Constitution and resolve inconsistencies in the legislation.

The amended law also separates the conduct of elections from the permanent constitution-making process and the national population and housing census.

This allows the National Elections Commission to proceed with preparations without those processes having to be completed first.

It sets the National Legislative Assembly at 270 members, while each state legislative assembly will have 58 members and each administrative area legislative council will have 20 members.

The law further provides for the allocation of parliamentary seats and outlines the mandate of high elections committees in the states and administrative areas responsible for implementing the electoral process.

The amendments come amid political disagreements over changes to the country’s transitional arrangements and electoral laws.

The South Sudan Opposition Alliance, a coalition of opposition parties and armed groups, said on Monday that amendments to the 2018 peace agreement, the transitional constitution and election laws had been made without adequate consultation among the agreement’s signatories.

South Sudan’s elections are scheduled for 22 December 2026 after years of delays.

The vote is intended to mark the end of the transitional period established under the 2018 peace agreement.

The National Elections Commission has been advancing preparations, although voter registration has not yet begun.

Kiir’s signing of the law also comes a day before 22 September, when the three-month period before the scheduled election begins.

Under the amended legislation, the transitional executive arrangements will change during that period, with the president remaining in office while the vice presidents leave their positions.