South Sudan Country Profile – Government/Politics

from  CIA Factbook (Page last updated on October 09, 2020), Global EDGE, Crisis Group and Radio Tamazuj  

Administrative divisions: 10 states; Central Equatoria, Eastern Equatoria, Jonglei, Lakes, Northern Bahr el Ghazal, Unity, Upper Nile, Warrap, Western Bahr el Ghazal, Western Equatoria; note – in 2015, the creation of 28 new states was announced and in 2017 four additional; following the February 2020 peace agreement, the country was reportedly again reorganized into the 10 original states, plus 2 administrative areas, Pibor and Ruweng, and 1 special administrative status area, Abyei; this latest administrative revision has not yet been vetted by the US Board on Geographic Names.

Constitution:

• history: previous 2005 (preindependence); latest signed 7 July 2011, effective 9 July 2011 (Transitional Constitution of the Republic of South Sudan, 2011).
• amendments: proposed by the National Legislature or by the president of the republic; passage requires submission of the proposal to the Legislature at least one month prior to consideration, approval by at least two-thirds majority vote in both houses of the Legislature, and assent of the president; amended 2013, 2015, 2018.

Executive branch:

• chief of state: President Salva KIIR Mayardit (since 9 July 2011); First Vice President Riek MACHAR Teny Dhurgon (since 22 February 2020); Vice President James Wani IGGA (since 26 April 2016); Vice President TABAN Deng Gai (since 22 February 2020); Vice President Rebecca Nyandeng Chol GARANG de Mabior (since 22 February 2020); Vice President Hussein ABDELBAGI Ayii (since 22 February 2020); note – the president is both chief of state and head of government.
• head of government: President Salva KIIR Mayardit (since 9 July 2011); First Vice President Taban Deng GAI (since 26 July 2016); Vice President James Wani IGGA (since 26 April 2016); Vice President TABAN Deng Gai (since 22 February 2020); Vice President Rebecca Nyandeng Chol GARANG de Mabior (since 22 February 2020); Vice President Hussein ABDELBAGI Ayii (since 22 February 2020); note – the president is both chief of state and head of government.
• cabinet: National Council of Ministers appointed by the president, approved by the Transitional National Legislative Assembly.
• elections/appointments: president directly elected by simple majority popular vote for a 4-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 11-15 April 2010 (next election scheduled for 2015 postponed to 2018 and again to 2021).
• election results: Salva KIIR Mayardit elected president; percent of vote – Salva KIIR Mayardit (SPLM) 93%, Lam AKOL (SPLM-DC) 7%.

Legislative branch:

description: bicameral National Legislature consists of:

• Council of States, established by presidential decree in August 2011 (50 seats; 20 former members of the Council of States and 30 appointed representatives).
• Transitional National Legislative Assembly, established on 4 August 2016, in accordance with the August 2015 Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (400 seats; 170 members elected in April 2010, 96 members of the former National Assembly, 66 members appointed after independence, and 68 members added as a result of the 2016 Agreement); the TNLA will be expanded to 550 members after the transitional government forms.

elections:

• Council of States – established and members appointed 1 August 2011.
• National Legislative Assembly – last held 11-15 April 2010 but did not take office until July 2011; current parliamentary term extended until 2021).

election results:

• Council of States – percent of vote by party – NA; seats by party – SPLM 20, unknown 30; composition – men 44, women 6, percent of women 12%.
• National Legislative Assembly – percent of vote by party – NA; seats by party – SPLM 251, DCP 10, independent 6, unknown 133; composition – men 291, women 109, percent of women 27.3%; note – total National Legislature percent of women 25.6%.

Judicial branch:

• highest courts: Supreme Court of South Sudan (consists of the chief and deputy chief justices, 9 other justices and normally organized into panels of 3 justices, except when sitting as a Constitutional panel of all 9 justices chaired by the chief justice).
• judge selection and term of office: justices appointed by the president upon proposal of the Judicial Service Council, a 9-member judicial and administrative body; justice tenure set by the National Legislature.
• subordinate courts: national level – Courts of Appeal; High Courts; County Courts; state level – High Courts; County Courts; customary courts; other specialized courts and tribunals.