U.S. denies it is pushing for a referendum delay

October 30, 2010 (KHARTOUM) – The United States has denied media reports in Khartoum that it has tabled a proposal by which the South Sudan referendum would be delayed until next May.

The referendums in south Sudan and the oil-rich region of Abyei were a centerpiece of a 2005 accord which ended two decades of civil war in which about two million people died.

Preparations for the key votes have proceeded haltingly amid political and logistical obstacles, the southerners have accused the northerners of stalling, warning of violence if the referendum is delayed.

Sudanese officials have already announced publicly that a simultaneous referendum in Abyei cannot be held as scheduled because of disagreements over who can vote. U.S. brokered talks in Ethiopia on the issue have failed to break the deadlock.

This week the head of the South Sudan referendum commission Mohamed Ibrahim Khalil which oversees the registration and voting process, said that it would be a “miracle” to hold the plebiscite as scheduled on January 9, 2011.

“We have no proposal to delay the referendum. In fact we would like to see the referendum that happens on time that is peaceful and allows the people of southern Sudan to express their will,” Gration told reporters in Khartoum.

“That is what we are pushing for, so we are looking for 9 January having people fill out the voting cards to be able to express their will. That is what we are pushing for and there is absolutely no talk about a delay,” he added.

The referendum commission has complained that the lack of funding is hindering its work because it needs to hire some 10,800 polling staff. It called on the national government and Government of South Sudan (GoSS) to provide the money as soon as possible.

The ruling National Congress Party (NCP) and Sudan people Liberation Movement (SPLM) have yet to agree on contentious post-referendum arrangements for South Sudan including border demarcation, wealth sharing, water, citizenship and national debt. All these issues are considered extremely sensitive and it is not clear what is the status of discussions between the two sides on these items.

However, the international community has called for a timely and transparent referendum despite the obstacles.

(ST)