South Sudan has spent much of its short history deferring the promise of democracy. Since independence in 2011, elections have remained an aspiration repeatedly overtaken by war, political mistrust and fragile peace agreements.
Now, for the first time, President Salva Kiir has removed a major legal obstacle by signing constitutional amendments that clear the way for elections on December 22, 2026. By assenting to the constitutional amendments implementing the Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS), President Kiir has publicly committed himself to holding the polls. This is a welcome development but changing the law is the easy part. Delivering an election whose outcome is accepted as credible by ordinary South Sudanese will be the real test.
