South Sudan conducts first public lecture on 2011 referendum
By James Gatdet Dak
October 28, 2008 (JUBA) – The semi-autonomous regional Government of Southern Sudan on Monday conducted its first public lecture on the expected exercise of referendum on self-determination in the year 2011 as provided for in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) and the 2005 Interim National Constitution (INC).
The event brought together Southern Sudanese politicians from different parties and civil servants from both the Government of National Unity and the Government of Southern Sudan at its all levels, senior SPLA officers as well as representatives of diplomatic corps and UN agencies.
The lecture witnessed various presentations by international and Sudanese experts on challenges and opportunities expected in the process leading to the exercise of referendum where the people of Southern Sudan would either vote to create an independent nation in the South or confirm the unity of the Sudan.
In his opening remarks, the First Vice President of Sudan and President of the semi-autonomous regional Government, Salva Kiir Mayardit, told the gathering that the issue of self-determination was central for the future of the people of Southern Sudan.
He said the right to self-determination was what generations in Southern Sudan had been fighting for.
Kiir explained that the two parties to the CPA (SPLM and NCP) have committed themselves to making unity of the whole Sudan an attractive option for the people of Southern Sudan, warning that there were only two years left to make unity an attractive option.
He further pointed out that it is also a political obligation to see to it that the referendum is exercised, and he urged all political forces in the South to unite, saying the road to referendum is “bumpy and thorny.”
“I called upon all Southern Sudan political parties to rally behind the referendum “with one voice, one vision with a united Southern Sudan,” Kiir strongly advised.
The former President of the High Executive Council of Southern Sudan and co-chairperson of the Khartoum-based National Constitutional Review Commission, Abel Alier, lectured on the Sudanese experience of referendum and historical political discussions on the future of Southern Sudan dating back to 1947.
Alier said ideas for self-determination were floated since 1955 by the people of Southern Sudan but did not come forward clearly to demand this right to be exercised in a referendum.
He said it was until the Khartoum Peace Agreement was signed in 1997 that the demand was embodied in the agreement for the first time where the people of Southern Sudan would have exercised their right to self-determination in a referendum after four years per the agreement.
“That referendum never took place,” lamented Alier, who stressed the need for responsible cooperation between the SPLM and the NCP for the success of the coming referendum in 2011.
The gathering also stressed the need for timely presentation of the Southern Sudan Referendum Bill for enactment into law by both the Khartoum-based National Assembly and the Council of States as provided for in the CPA.
(ST)
Kim Deng
South Sudan conducts first public lecture on 2011 referendum
Referendum on self-determination for South Sudan has been the only objective for the South Sudan movements since 1955, but the criminal coward evil guy called Garang imposed his blind vision known as “United Secular Sudan/New Sudan on people of South Sudan through the support of his friend Mengistu Haile Mariam of Ethiopia in 1983.
It never been too late for Mr. Aliel to change from his brother’s poor vision “New Sudan” to self-determination for South Sudan as Mr. Salva stated.
It is a matter of damn 2 more years for Mr. Aliel and likes to say goodbye to arabized Nubian govt (NIF) and join their brothers in the South.
Majak-da
South Sudan conducts first public lecture on 2011 referendum
CPA has nothing to do with the 1997 Khartoum Peace Agreement. That Riek and Lam traitors’ agreement is not significant for Southern Sudan self determination in any way. Abel Alier should not tell us lies and backs failed 1997 Khartoum fool agreement.
The CPA is the foundation of self determination because South has independent army and a gov’t whose it base is not Khartoum. To VOTE AGAINST Sudan’s unity is 100% without that Khartoum Agreement as spelt out by CPA. Stop provoking LOVERS of CPA by telling us Khartoum greedy agreements.
Jay
South Sudan conducts first public lecture on 2011 referendum
Kim is Riek himself insulting Garang, Nuer are all like that, there is no distinction between a child and an elder they are just the worthless society.
I believed you guys should have known better by not attacking them.
All this society knows is food, that’s why they were running back and forth between Khartoum and south for the last twenty five years.
There is no single leader in their society that’ll have a historic museum like Garang.
Garang is the revered person not only in Sudan but all over Africa.
YihHon Alewei
South Sudan conducts first public lecture on 2011 referendum
Is this how you guys going to campaign for the 2011 referendum?
Thanks to GOSS for its ambitions for the South Sudan! If GOSS is committed to deliver the message to the civilians of South Sudan and tell them in a plain language what self-determination is all about! Than I think we can win in 2011! But I doubt whether the message will read those who have very little about what have been going for the last twenty-one years!
There is mistrust here, and without getting that mistrust, all of us will be bought by arabs to enter that united they are hoping for!
Dear All!
From Kim Deng to the rest, you are the only key to self-determination of South Sudan! If you fall onto the tribal lines, what about those who don’t even know how to read and write! Stop it and try to focus on the future of South Sudan not tribes nor regions.
Malish JP
South Sudan conducts first public lecture on 2011 referendum
Helllo Guys,
I wonder what we are up to always in tribalism. This topic has been very impressive and interesting and has nothing to do with who fought or not, but some guys brought in personalities. When are we going to practice our intellectualism for the benefit of this land. You may make me conclude that all those in diaspora have little sense of patriotism to Southern Sudan because many time they complicated matter back home.
Referendum by the way has nothing to do with who held a gun or not but majority. OK! if so, then let those who fought vote the referendum and the rest observe and see if they can make any change in sudan.
I expect positive criticism towards such nationalistic discussion so that we know where we are going before its late. Do you think GoSS was wrong to organize this forum? Absolutely NO! Now why are we shouting from US, Australia, China etc yet feeding on suffering sudanese money corrupted by your relatives anywhere. Sometimes, when i get such embarrassement, i feld like sudan is still in the stone age period of primitivity yet we are in the 22nd century. Please, please, we should learn to keep our personal views from public ones or else just stop writing, its your right nobody will charge you for that.
Otherwise GoSS congratulations, and go ahead with such forums.
Malish JP is a southern sudaneseliving in the jungle delivering civic engagement to southern sudan societies.