South Sudan referendum at risk over commission standoff says SPLM
August 13, 2010 (KHARTOUM) – The standoff between north and south Sudan over the appointment of a secretary-general to the commission tasked with organizing South Sudan’s referendum on independence from the north is threatening to derail preparations for the poll, according to secretary-general of the SPLM who govern south Sudan.
Pagan Amum, the secretary-general of the SPLM, said yesterday that process had been paralyzed by failure for the two sides to agree on who should head the referendum commission.
“The referendum commission clearly seems to have reached a deadlock in the process of selection of the secretary-general. The commission is now paralyzed, it is not working,” Reuters quoted Amum as saying.
Amum warned that failure to overcome this obstacle within the coming two weeks means that the referendum “will meet its demise.”
The senior SPLM official expressed his concern over the comments of Tarek Osman Al-Tahir, a member of the referendum commission who on 9 August suggested that the poll be delayed to complete the necessary pre-referendum procedures.
“I am afraid there may be elements within the referendum commission that are actually planning a postponement, or in the worst case a total betrayal [of the right] to be exercised by the people of southern Sudan,” AFP reported Amun as saying.
Although it was scheduled to be formed at the beginning of 2010, as per the CPA, the commission, which is responsible for running the referendum, was only appointed in June.
Explaining why a delay to the referendum is not an option for the south, Amum told Reuters, “the hopes and expectations of the people of south Sudan are so pinned on that date that it would be dangerous to postpone it because the level of frustration and disappointment would be so high for anybody to manage.”
In an address to a rally held in Egypt four days ago, Pagan said he expected southerners would vote overwhelmingly in favor of secession, attributing this to “the failure in defining Sudan as an Arab Islamic state.”
Before the CPA, the NCP attempted to rule the whole of Sudan, including the mainly Christian south, under Islamic Shari’a Law.
“This error”, he said, “is what led the Sudanese state to war with all those who found themselves outside the purview of that definition.”
Appointing the commission’s secretary-general is not the only stumbling block for the referendum. The two partners have also failed to agree the demarcation of north-south border, which is made more controversial as Sudan’s main oil fields are located in the border area.
Most fields lie in the south and in the oil rich region of Abyei, whose residents are due to hold a simultaneous referendum on whether to join the south or the north.
Preparations for Abyei’s poll have also stalled along border demarcation disputes.
A UN source told Sudan Tribune on condition of anonymity earlier this week that the issues of Abyei’s referendum could be largely resolved if greater resources where applied by the UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) due its relatively small scale in comparison to the south.
Conducting the southern referendum considering the current deadlock and remaining timescale would be more of a challenge the source said as 64 additional UN sites have to be established in southern Sudan.
UNMIS is mandated to support the referendum whenever the SPLM and NCP agree to hold it, they said.
As it stands UNMIS is expected to bring in 600 additional staff to assist the two referenda.
According to the source, this could increase to 800 (as well as increasing the number of helicopters and vehicles needed) if issues such as appointing the southern referendum commissioner are not resolved in the next two weeks.
The referendum is expected to cost $100 million, with $60 million from the UN, $20 million from the Sudanese government and the last $20 million from bilateral donors such as the US, Canadian and Dutch governments the source said.
UN Development Program ‘basket fund’ for the referendum has already received over $25 million.
(ST)
Jamus
South Sudan referendum at risk over commission standoff says SPLM
Pagan,we stand behind you.You are our voice and we hear you commenting,we feel relieve that our future,and especially now,is in your hands.You are a known ardent supporter of democracy,peace and justice.Anyone tampering with it will see fire.Let the South Parliament take over now the conduct of referandum as the efforts are frustrated and thwarted by NCP.Another extreme option is the Unilateral Declaration of Independent.Whether they like it or not,South is going.We had suffered enough
thieleling
South Sudan referendum at risk over commission standoff says SPLM
Dear Readers,
“Amum warned that failure to overcome this obstacle within the coming two weeks means that the referendum “will meet its demise.” The real “error” is that Pagan Amum wants to play along with NCP’s tactics. How can he put his legs on two different boats?
The problem is not only the appointment of the secretary general for the commission, but also the demarcation of the North-south border. So, the Referendum is going forward with or without either one of them in place. These are the last strategic obstacles from the enemy camp. South Sudanese need to just out-maneuvred the snakes on their own games. We already know what is going on. Quit playing into the enemy’s games!!
The unionists/communists within SPLM Political Bureau have a propensity for dishonesty. South sudanese only want those members of the PB who are honest and possess high standards and integrity to serve all South sudanese public trust.
South sudanese citizens take their freedom seriously, and truthfulness on the part of the PB members is imperative. Dishonesty and deviant acts cannot be tolerated comes January 9, 2011. But south sudanese are dealing with lies or deceit from unionists’ PB members.
The public’s trust and confidence is sorely undermined by the communist’s corrupted Bureau members during the April elections and are not therefore, trust to serve south sudanese’s interests effectively. Dr. Machar and his colleagues will face obstacles from these communists to make the SPLM comes up with a united political stance before Referendum.
The position of south sudanese public opinion is very clear: Voting for separation on January 9, 2011. The Only position that is not clear is the few SPLM unionist-communist members of the SPLM Political Bureau(Pagan, Luka Biong, Yasser Arman etc….).
They would never come up with a clear position on how to vote comes January, 2011(the Referendum). These die-hards communists/unionists are politically mute when it comes to the most important political objective that is dear to the whole south sudan.
DASODIKO
DSK
Dear ISG; Salut! You are on the right track but SPLM/A miss one thing; and its not to show weakness before the Jallabas genocider regime in Khartoum. These Northern Arab when South Sudan offecials express that they are fed up of War they would never go back to war;they understood that the gvoernemnt of South Sudan have tasted oil money and lusxurious big cars, hotels houses ….etc. So Governemnt of South Sudan will never go back to war what soever the case but use their mouths.
I beleive that all chaos and killing of the innocent civilians happening in South Sudan is because the NCP wants to create state of instability in South Sudan preparing for a war against South Sudan due referandum.
I urge President Kiir to delclare that South Sudan is in a state of war against gangster let it be against LRA and the elements of NCP who kill innocents under the cover of cattle raiding. I have never seen normal cattle raider using rockets!!!!!
Kiir you are democratically 98 percent elected not like that stupid wanted Criminal Bashir in Khartoum; yes you can! Just follow my advices, Jallabas fear the one who respond killing with perish. Even you can change the war front in Khartoum not in South Sudan this time. You have nothing to fear all people of margin are with you they can fight with you and after the victory they will allow you to do whatever you want with the South Sudan. Do not listen to any sound who tells you please wait, wait, now is also killing the the later. AFRICAN GO BLESS YOU
billieth
South Sudan referendum at risk over commission standoff says SPLM
Bravo Mr. Secretary keep up a good fight but try to encourage your colleagues to do likewise.
Regard!
DengDit Ayok
South Sudan referendum at risk over commission standoff says SPLM
Well-done Comrade Amum. You’re one of think-tanks of southern Sudan. Keep it up. “We shall overcome!” despite all the conspiracies of the Khartoum rulers.