JUBA, April 21 (Xinhua) -- South Sudan on Tuesday reaffirmed its commitment to holding national elections in December.
"The Council of Ministers had approved an amendment bill presented by the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, allowing the Transitional National Legislative Assembly to deliberate on revisions to provisions of the revitalized peace agreement," government spokesperson Ateny Wek Ateny told reporters during a press conference in Juba, South Sudan's capital.
He said the proposed revisions seek to separate the electoral timetable from pre-election requirements that have caused past delays, such as the national census and the permanent constitution-making process.
By separating these mandates, the government intends to allow the vote to proceed while these long-term tasks continue under the next elected administration, Ateny said.
The 2018 Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan established the current transitional government and laid out steps toward democratic elections after years of civil conflict.
If held as planned, the December general elections would represent South Sudan's first national vote since gaining independence in 2011. ■