Machar’s team begins planning on referendum for the South Sudan and Abyei
By James Gatdet Dak
March 2, 2010 (JUBA) – A body recently decreed into establishment to prepare Southern Sudan and Abyei for referenda has begun to brainstorm on the task that would see the people of both regions successfully exercising their right to self-determination for possible independence.
It serves as guidance to the Government of Southern Sudan (GoSS) in the process leading to the exercise of referendum, post-referendum issues (such as oil – its production and transport – assets, liabilities, waters, currency, international agreements, nationality and citizenship, status of southern Sudanese soldiers currently in the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and vice versa, etc) and management of post-referendum scenarios.
Officials have assured that the Taskforce is neither a duplicating nor a competing institution to the Southern Sudan Referendum Commission or Bureau, but a body formed by the regional government in exercise of its constitutional responsibility to make the environment conducive for the exercise.
The team met on Friday for the second time to chart out the way forward as one of its responsibilities is to provide suggestions to feed into discussions on drafting of regulations by the would-be formed technical Southern Sudan Referendum Commission (to be based in Khartoum) and its branch office, the Southern Sudan Referendum Bureau (to be based in Juba).
It is to be noted that the two parties had last week agreed on nominations of the chairmanship and deputy chairmanship of the Southern Sudan Referendum Commission in which the chair goes to the National Congress Party (NCP) and the deputy chair goes to the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) per the power sharing provision in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA).
Khartoum, the national capital, was also agreed to be the seat of the Commission as stipulated in the CPA. However, the SPLM team after long time of heated negotiations managed to secure the agreement of the NCP to the establishment of a branch office in Juba to be equipped with more powers in order to manage the process on the ground.
The highly empowered Taskforce chaired by the Southern Sudan’s Vice President Dr. Machar has huge political responsibility besides the technical Commission in making sure that environment in Southern Sudan is conducive enough for the exercise of the referendum.
It will coordinate activities with the Khartoum-based Commission and discuss with it on set up of the Southern Sudan Referendum Bureau branch office in Juba. This would include conducting analysis of specific provision for GoSS involvement in referendum as stipulated in the Southern Sudan Referendum Act which was agreed upon by the two parties and passed in the National Assembly in December last year.
The Taskforce would work with the Southern Sudan Referendum Commission (Khartoum), and Bureau (Juba), to feed into their civic and voter education strategies and the implementation of such strategies as appropriate.
On security, it would work with relevant GoSS institutions and the Commission/Bureau to establish “Security Committee” required by the Southern Sudan Referendum Act and coordinate with such relevant institutions specific training for police and national security services operating in Southern Sudan, including drafting of “Code of Conduct” for security services.
The Taskforce would also coordinate with the Commission and Bureau to establish guidelines for use of GoSS/State-owned media and with the independent and impartial media committee when established by the Commission on the information campaign mandated by the Referendum Act.
It shall also engage with Commission and Bureau on provision of logistical support for registration and voting as well as monitor the process of developing and producing materials such as registration cards, ballots.
In selection of observers during the referendum, the Taskforce would also engage with the Commission and Bureau on the accreditation process for domestic and international observers.
This includes coordinating with Sudanese and international non-governmental organizations to identify groups and individuals who may want to act as observers.
On referendum results and outcome it would work with the Commission and Bureau as appropriate on a process of ensuring that the “competent court(s)” identified to hear referendum-related complaints are adequately prepared to take on this responsibility.
Despite the fact that it is not the role of GoSS to announce the official results, the Taskforce would however coordinate with the Commission/Bureau on dissemination of official referendum results. This includes identifying appropriate means through which to confirm the outcome of the referendum, probably through a proclamation of independence in the Southern Sudan Legislative Assembly in the event of a vote for secession.
The people of Southern Sudan shall vote in the referendum of January 2011 to choose between confirming the current unity of Sudan and forming their own independent country.
Abyei shall also vote to either join the South or remain within the geographical north, while the people of Nuba Mountains and Southern Blue Nile shall exercise their respective popular consultations to determine their future political and administrative statuses within the geographical north.
(ST)