Govt urges parliament to pass election law amendments ahead of 2026 polls

The government called on lawmakers to pass amendments to the National Election Act to prepare for general elections scheduled for December 2026.

Minister of Information and Government Spokesperson Ateny Wek Ateny stated that the proposed legal changes will define constituency structures prior to the vote.

The government plans to maintain the 102 geographic constituencies created during the 2008 mapping and used in the 2010 elections. Additional parliamentary seats will allocate representation through party lists and designated quotas for women, youth, minorities, and persons with disabilities.

Ateny stated that the proposed amendments remove the requirement linking election logistics to a national population census.

“In order for the National General Election to be possible come December 2026, the National Election Act 2012 amendment bill should be tabled now to the National Legislative Assembly for deliberation and passing so that we know the composition of the constituencies,” Ateny said.

“The constituencies should not be touched simply because we are delinking any provision that says the election should be after the census.”

Ateny noted that without a new national census, the electoral commission will continue using the constituency boundaries established in 2008.

Passing the amended legislation remains necessary to establish the legal framework required for the December 2026 elections.