NCP in Western Equatoria State calls to take part in voter registration

November 5, 2009 (YAMBIO, WES) –- The Western Equatoria Chairman of National Congress Party, Awad Kisanga, has called on the entire population to participate fully in the historic voter registration process so as to practice their democratic rights in the electoral process come April 2010. The Leadership of SPLM in the state had on Tuesday made similar call.

Kisanga says voter registration is the only weapon or spear to kill any bad leadership that civilians may think is hampering service delivery.

The Voter Registration which started late in WES as of last Wednesday is characterized as a prelude for the upcoming general elections in April 2010.

Virtually, in some counties of Western Equatoria State voter registration exercise is facing a series of obstacles that have hampered registration centers nationwide since it started on Wednesday.

Bullen Abiatara is the County Commissioner of WES’s Mundri West County, he told Yambio FM Good Evening Show program that, as of last Wednesday National Election Commission High Committee for WES was still training registration officers and delivery of registration materials to all registrations centers in county is in slow path. Mathias Onzi the County Commissioner of WES’s Maridi County echoes the same reasons for the delay of registration process in the county.

However both Commissioners cited optimism of the registration taking place on Thursday.

State High Committee has blamed bad roads and lack of enough finances for the deteriorating delays statewide. The Committee has called of citizens to accord necessary support to registration officers.

In WES’s Nzara County 15 miles away from Yambio, the registration has well kicked off, with high turn up. Col Sentian Ndefu is the County Commissioner; she confirmed that, “there is enthusiasm and willingness among the eligible voters in the county to participate in the registration exercise.

According to NEC State High Committee, there are 223 registration centers statewide, 29 State Geographical Constituencies, 8 southern Sudan Geographical Constituencies and 4 National Geographical constituencies making a total of 41 Geographical Constituencies in Western Equatoria State.

As Western Equatoria State, prepares for its first democratic elections in 24 years, to be held in April 2010. The registration period kicked off with a celebratory start from the Government officials.

But Independent Analysts say the electoral process presents enormous risks to the fragile peace between North and South Sudan. In related phenomena LRA rebels have displaced thousands of Civilians in Western Equatoria State.

Civil society leaders have expressed many concerns about the voter registration process, noting that voter education is not widely available in rural areas, distribution of voting materials is limited in areas not accessible by road, and that concerns about election security could result in low voter turnout. Nevertheless United Nations Mission in Sudan is filling some transportation burdens to remote villages.

Tensions are already running high in South Sudan, where more than 350,000 people have been displaced and more than 2,000 killed this year. The international community must dedicate resources and coordinate efforts to protect civilians and prevent outbreaks of election-related violence that could well contribute to a return to full-scale war.

(ST)