South Sudanese opposition group SPLM-IO says that Salva Kiir and his loyalists are ruling without a legal mandate after their failure to form a transitional government of national unity as mandated by the peace agreement.

After its signature by Salva Kiir and its adoption by parliament, the Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (ACRISS) effectively became law in South Sudan. The peace deal itself stipulates that it shall be considered a higher law than even the constitution itself.

The peace agreement mandates the formation of a power-sharing government by late November with representation of SPLM-IO, SPLM-FD, SPLM-Juba and other political parties.

Mabior Garang, spokesman of the SPLM-IO, explained in a press release on Thursday that the time for rule by the pre-transitional government (Kiir’s government) is over.

“The Agreement… Chapter, 1, Article 1, Section 1, Subsection 1.2 states: ‘The Transitional Period shall commence 90 days after the signing of this Agreement.’ This effectively means that there is a power vacuum and the Administration of Salva Kiir is ruling without a [legal] mandate, as that expired effective November 25, 2015,” said Mabior.

The SPLM-IO spokesman said that hardliners in the Kiir government were carrying out “constant negative propaganda” to undermine the peace agreement.