From 550 appointed to 332 elected MPs: Elections Bill targets bloated transitional parliament
The bill was tabled before the National Legislature by the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Dr. Wek Mamer, and has been referred to the Legislation Committee for scrutiny.
South Sudan’s next elected parliament is proposed to have 332 members under the National Elections Commission Act 2012 Amendment Bill 2026.
The bill was tabled before the National Legislature by the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Dr. Wek Mamer, and has been referred to the Legislation Committee for scrutiny.
The proposed structure would replace the transitional parliamentary arrangement established under the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement.
The peace agreement expanded the Transitional National Legislature to 550 members as part of its power-sharing arrangements.
The transitional institutions were established to oversee implementation of the peace agreement and prepare the country for a transition to an elected government.
Under the new Elections Amendment Bill, the proposed 332-member elected parliament would be divided into three categories.
Parliamentary spokesperson Oliver Mori says 50 percent of the seats would be allocated through geographical constituencies, 35 percent reserved for women and 15 percent allocated through party lists.
“There will be 332 honourable members in the coming elected parliament, of which 50 percent will be for geographical constituencies, 35 percent for women, and 15 percent for party list,” he explained.
The bill is intended to address inconsistencies in the existing electoral law and align it with the Transitional Constitution and other relevant legislation.
It contains two chapters and 17 sections and is now under consideration by the Legislation Committee.
The committee’s review will precede further consideration of the bill by the National Legislature as part of the legal preparations for the planned general elections.
