South Sudan's SPLM-Juba faction has abandoned earlier announced plans to hold a wartime election and instead will seek parliamentary approval for a constitutional amendment that will extend their term of rule beyond its expiry in July 2015 until July 2017.

Faction leader Salva Kiir's term as president will end as well as all members of parliament.

After a cabinet sitting yesterday, Minister of Information and Broadcasting Michael Makuei announced a halt to preparations for the election, which was earlier scheduled for 30 June.

“In our quest for peace, the cabinet has decided to call off the elections and extend the lifespan of the elected positions so that we give peace a chance,” Makuei told reporters.

The development comes after the Supreme Court set a date to hear the response of the Ministry of Justice to a petition by opposition political parties seeking for the election to be declared unconstitutional because of the need for a census to be held before the vote.

According to Makuei, a constitutional amendment will be introduced in parliament next week. Then the required period of one month for deliberations will follow, after which parliament may choose to approve the amendment by about mid-March.

The amendment will change the constitutional expiry date of the office terms of government officials, extending it by two years.

File photo: Salva Kiir speaking at a meeting of the SPLM National Liberation Council (Juba faction)