Sudan’s Salva Kiir shows satisfaction with CPA implementation

February 8, 2008 (JUBA) — Sudan’s First Vice President and President of southern Sudan government expressed today satisfaction of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) with the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA).

Following a meeting with the Sudanese vice-president Ali Osman Taha in Juba on Friday, Salva Kiir Mayadrit showed satisfaction over the CPA implementation. He asserted that the two peace partners are going in the right direction and determined to resolve the outstanding issues.

The First Vice-President further said that the meeting he held with Vice President in Juba discussed the electoral law and the issue of Abyei and the national census.

The two partners have diverged positions on the electoral law. The peace partners agreed to adopt a mixed system: proportional representation and geographical constituencies. SPLM, which is backed by the opposition parties, proposes to elect 50% of the legislators through the proportional and 50% through the constituencies but the NCP insists on 60% for the constituencies and 40% for the proportional.

Taha said in press statements after the meeting that he briefed Mayadrit on the outcome of the meetings of the political executive committee which were held last week in Khartoum and the issues to be discussed at the presidential meeting early next week.

Ali Osman added that the meeting also discussed preparations for the meeting of the presidential National Security Council, which would be held early next week in Khartoum indicating that the visit was an opportunity to review all the issues clearly and in full agreement and overcome all difficulties facing the Comprehensive Peace Agreement.

Ali Osman Taha who is the head of National Congress Party delegation in the committee had met earlier with the southern Sudan vice-president and head of SPLM delegation to discuss preparation of the next meeting of the committee.

Taha and Machar agreed to convene the next meeting of the
Political Executive Committee in February next Monday February 11, to tackle the remaining issues in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement and consultation on the enforcement of the outcome of the previous meeting of the joint body.

The vice president said his meeting with the vice-president of southern Sudan government covered the results of the last meeting but also the issues to be discussed on Monday meeting in Khartoum.

Riak Machar, said that the meeting dealt with issues of national census, and reviewed the positions of the two parties on the election law.

(ST)