The Supreme Court of South Sudan in a hearing today set 20 March 2015 for the next sitting on a case brought by opposition political parties, after the government challenged the legality of the parties themselves.
The parties had brought the case before the government announced it was calling of the elections, but the court proceeded to hear the case anyway. Last week the head judge of the court requested the parties to bring their registration documents.
Speaking on Tuesday morning, Chief Justice Chan Reech Madut said that the court will resume next week on 20 March, which is Friday, to decide the fate of the case.
“On 20th March, we will meet again here so that you hear from the court what the next steps are,” Reech said.
South Sudan’s cabinet last month called off plans to hold an election this June instead saying it would seek parliamentary approval for extension of the tenure of the government. Parliamentarians last month were called back to deliberate the issue.
The coalition of opposition parties had challenged the legality of the elections plans on the basis that the census has not yet been conducted and insecurity in many parts of the country would potentially disenfranchise many voters.
Photo: A lawyer representing PPLF parties presents a registration certificate to the court