A group of South Sudanese lawyers has filed a case with the country’s Supreme Court, contesting President Salva Kiir’s decision to postpone elections and extend the transitional government’s term by two years.
President Kiir’s office announced the extension ten days ago, marking the second delay in elections originally scheduled for 2022. Last week, parliament approved the move after the cabinet endorsed it, pushing elections that were expected in December further into the future.
The lawyers argue the extension is unconstitutional and are asking the court to declare it “null and void.” “We believe this extension is illegal, and we demand the government hold elections within the original time frame,” said lawyer Deng John Deng, speaking on behalf of the group after submitting their case.
The government, represented by Information Minister Michael Makuei, has not yet commented on the legal challenge.
The decision to postpone the elections has drawn criticism from international backers of South Sudan’s peace process, who expressed frustration over the government’s failure to fully implement the 2018 peace agreement. Despite formal peace since the agreement, violence between rival groups remains a persistent issue.
