Voting in Cueibet characterized by low turnout, especially among youth

By Manyang Mayom

April 12, 2010 (RUMBEK) — Many youth have not turned up to cast their ballots in most of the polling stations in Cueibet County for fear of standing face to face with soldiers during the voting process.

The majority of those queuing to vote in Cueibet’s various polling stations visited by this correspondent were women. It was also apparent that without civic voter education it was difficult for voters to cast their vote correctly.

Cueibet County of Lakes state is located west of Rumbek, the state capital. Mr. Jok Ayom Majak, a candidate for Lakes State Assembly, Ngap Constituency, expressed concern over the turnout of voters, adding that he expected no more than 30 percent of registered voters to cast their votes.

He attributed the low turnout to the fear of the youth who are hiding from soldiers following the temporarily halted disarmament process; Mr. Ayom explained that the youth have been suspected to be hiding firearms.

Cueibet town at the end February witnessed brutal clashes between armed young civilians and SPLA soldiers. The clashes claimed over 30 lives; among them were a paramount chief and one executive chief who were killed on the spot during crossfire inside the court premises.

Some civilians are said to have fled away from their original area of registration due to the clashes between the army and armed civilians. Other individuals suffer from the long distances including elderly people plus pregnant mothers and disabled.

Southern Sudan Police Service (SSPS) Colonel Isaac Mayuom Gop affirmed that there is a threat of insecurity over Cueibet town yet he appreciated the ongoing voting process as a milestone step toward democratic transformation in the Sudan.

Polling officers also blame the National Elections Commission of having delayed delivery of material to some polling station centers such as Warbuoi polling station at Malou-pec which actually had missed the entire first day of balloting in Lakes state. The head of the polling center, officer Ngor, explained that executive ballot papers were not delivered in Warbuoi polling station on the first day of the voting.

As reported in other states as well, many people are finding their name missing from the voters’ register at the appropriate polling station.

Voters in the community at various polling stations said that they insisted on casting their votes for Cde Yasir Arman despite SPLM’s decision last week to withdraw him from presidential race.

Cueibet County has a total of 62,060 registered voters spread over 62 polling stations.

WBGS GOVERNOR COMPLAINS TO ELECTIONS COMISSION

The multi-party elections which began on Sunday in Sudan are today continuing in Western Bahr el Ghazal State (WBGS). Caretaker Col. Efisio Kon Uguak appealed to the National Election Commission to extend voting for two to seven days. The NEC later announced a two day extension of the voting period.

The acting governor made this request in his complaint statement which explained that most areas in Western Bahr el Ghazal were affected by delays in receiving their electoral materials, which came in the later hours on Sunday. Parts of Marialbai payam were also affected by distribution of registration lists not belonging to the area – a mistake for which Kon Uguak put most of the blame on the NEC.

Kon Uguak has appealed to the head of the Election Commission in Wau to consider any complaint brought from any polling station as necessary to be addressed before any individual discussions affect the situation.

Meanwhile, over 100 votes for the women’s list were reportedly found to be missing on Monday morning in constituency number 7 of St. Raphael Primary School in Wau town. SPLM began to try to find out how this number is missing.

Delays in the opening of polling stations also frustrated voters as some areas. Voting began from 2:00 in the afternoon on Sunday in Wau.

(ST)