Cueibet County voter registration improves though troubles remain

By Manyang Mayom

November 16, 2009 (RUMBEK) – Voter registration in Lakes state is improving in some counties but insecurity and shortages of registration forms have deadlocked the process in parts of Cueibet County and Wulu. In Rumbek East County and Awerial County too, according to one government official, there is a spirit of insecurity caused by cattle raiders from Nuer and Mundri communities.

Gabriel Nemiah Aciek, the head of the Electoral High Commission in Lakes state noted that voter registration is going on well despite difficulties of insecurity and lack of awareness in the state about voter registration.

From November 1 to November 14, 2009, Cueibet County had registered a total of 27,754; of its five constituencies, it is estimated that Pagor had 5,800, Cueibet town center had 6,200, Mayath constituency had 5,400, Duong constituency had 5,000, and Abiriu constituency had 3,738.

But Cueibet County registration centers faced difficulties of running out of voter registration forms and shill-paper. Specifically, Pagor constituency registration center went four days without carrying out any registration activities due to lack of registration forms and shilling-paper, said Gabriel Maluaac Yak, who is on the registration team in Pagor.

Additional registration figures are reported from two constituencies of Rumbek Central County. Matangai Payam, during the period November 1 to November 13, 2009 had registered 3,528 and Mayom constituency had registered 1,616.

‘DISTANCES AND THIRST’

The National Election Commission (NEC) has not provided mobile teams for voter registration centers in Cueibet County like Pagor, Duong and Abiriu. Key supplies are missing at existing centers, hindering operations.

Maluaac, the official in Pagor, said “our roads are not accessible, there are far distant places like Reel which borders Rumbek Central and Rumbek North at a distance of 35 miles; venerable groups including elderly people and pregnant women could not manage to reach the voter registration center because of distances and thirst”.

At Duong center, the voter registration was delayed since the start date of registration, November 1, said John Matur Kooc who is the team leader on ground there. “In this center, we just began our work on November 3 and materials are still not completed in this center. There is no mobile team and actually we don’t have drinking water as well food and medications. The issue of transport has affected this center,” he said.

Also potentially significant, fear remains in Rumbek North County due to the cross-border rivalries with Warap state pastoralists. Last week, elements believed to be Luac-jang killed two women and one girl.

Wulu county and Rumbek North plus Awerial claimed to be behind schedule due to insecurity and distances which hinder communities from turning out for registrations. Nevertheless, Damalato constituency of Wulu County had improved; over 1,420 had been registers from up till November 13, 2009, said Dhuor Akoon. Another official, Henry Mabor Yol, could not be reached to provide the number of registrations recorded in Wulu centre.

POLITICAL PARTIES’ INVOLVEMENT

On Saturday, Southern Sudan’s ruling party, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) called a meeting with all other Southern Sudanese political parties operating in Lakes state. The agenda was how to carry out voter registration activities with the participation of the others political parties.

The meeting was held at the SPLM Lakes State Secretariat office. It ended without solution.

The member of the African National Congress (ANC) Mr. Kuc Abyei said “I like Southern Sudan better then SPLM,” warning SPLM to avoid threatening others parties in Lakes state. He said that his party members are working under serious intimidation and fear from SPLM security agents.

“My party agents are restricted in movement by security personnel of SPLM and this made it difficult for them to mobilize voters into registration centers,” said the politician.

The SPLM caucus chairman in Lakes state parliament, Honorable Gordon Maper Manyiel, denied the allegation of the ANC leader saying that “the SPLM objective is to mobilize people from rural areas into registration centers; our first concern is to make sure that everybody is registered and later on we will preach politics”.

(ST)