South Sudan's Kiir dissolves transitional government ahead of first elections

South Sudan's President Salva Kiir has dissolved the transitional government, three months before the country's first election since independence in 2011.

• Kiir removed the country's five vice-presidents and dissolved parliament, national and state governments under the amended law.
• He will remain in office with full constitutional powers until an elected president is sworn in, with elections set for December 22.
• The main opposition alliance has rejected the changes; SPLM-IO acting chair Nathaniel Pierino warned that anyone registering voters in its territories would be "a prisoner of war."
• Riek Machar, the main opposition leader, remains under house arrest and on trial for treason, which he denies.