The South Sudanese government said Tuesday it is prepared to finance the National Elections Commission to conduct long-delayed general elections scheduled for December 2026, amid concerns over funding and preparation timelines.

The announcement came after National Elections Commission Chairperson Abednego Akok said last week that preparations were lagging due to a lack of resources for voter registration, civic education, and logistics.

The elections, set for Dec. 22, 2026, would be South Sudan’s first national vote since independence in 2011. They have been repeatedly postponed because of political disputes.

Information Minister Ateny Wek Ateny told reporters in Juba that the government was working to mobilize funds from both oil and non-oil revenues.

Ateny, who is also the government spokesman, said preparations were underway to ensure the electoral process proceeds on schedule, noting that constitutional timelines require a transition to a caretaker government around October 2026.

On legal and constitutional reforms linked to the vote, Ateny said the cabinet had approved amendments to provisions in the 2018 peace agreement that would separate the conduct of a census and drafting of a permanent constitution from the upcoming election.