Sudan’s Kiir says South would accept 55% referendum turnout

November 19, 2009 (PARIS) – The Sudanese First Vice president and head of the Government of South Sudan (GoSS) Salva Kiir said today that the ex-Southern rebel group will accept a 55% voter turnout in the 2011 referendum to make it valid.

The ruling National Congress Party (NCP) and Sudan People Liberation army are deadlocked on the percentage with the former insisting on a two-thirds turnout.

Kiir, who is on a visit to Paris, told a select group of SPLM friends, reserchers and reporters that negotiations with NCP are on the range of 55%-60%.

Both sides appear to be in agreement on the 51% ‘Yes’ votes to declare that Southerners chose independence.

The GoSS president held meetings at the Elysee with the French Minister of Ecology Jean-Louis Borloo.

He is not expected to meet with French president Nicolas Sarkozy who is on a visit to Saudi Arabia or foreign minister Bernard Kouchner who is in Afghanistan.

Kiir is on a tour of Europe that will also take him to Netherlands, Norway, and Belgium.

(ST)