Jonglei electorates voting at 5 hrs walk stations

By Philip Thon Aleu

April 13, 2010 (BOR) – Some polling stations in Jonglei State are four to five hours walk from voters’ residence, said the caretaker governor Kuol Manyang Juuk on Monday to explain the calm in polling centers.

Queues and angers are diminishing on the third day with less than 10 people lining at most stations during the morning hours on Tuesday. The rush of the last two-day is off now, said a voter.

Atmosphere surrounding voting centers remain calm and peaceful. Party agents – curved by political interests, occasionally interrupt voting on Monday in polling stations outside Bor town by accusing each other of interfering with illiterate voters’ choices. Voters who can not read and write are assisted by either polling officials or relatives to cast their votes.

Briefing the press about the electoral process in counties which can not be independently observed given the poor infrastructural network, Kuol Manyang says the process is smooth according to local officials’ reports. In Fangak County, however, voters cover distance of 30 km (about 4 to 5 hours walk on foot) to reach polling centers, Commissioner James Maliet says.

Polling ensued peacefully in Pigi, Pibor, Ayod, Uror, Nyirol, Twic East, Duk and Pochala Counties, the caretaker governor says per counties Commissioners’ reports. A journalistic source in Panygoor, the headquarters of Twic County, told the Sudan Tribune Monday afternoon that voting is smooth. A polling official in Pibor County lauds the voting process but added that “missing of names is a big problem”.

PARTY AGENTS INTERFERENCE

In Malek Secondary School, a voter official says voters decline to vote in the afternoon though the queues were long on Monday. It is evident on Tuesday, the third day of polling, that few voters turned out to cast their votes.

In the voter roll at centers toured by Sudan Tribune, more than half of registered voters are still expected. Some might be oscillating between polling stations to find their names. Others have already given-up after failing locate polling centers for two days. But the eager to make history through ballot boxes and two days voting extension are driving forces that may increase overall voter turnout.

Much as voting goes peacefully, political parties agents temperately halted polling processes in Makolcuei on Monday. Supporters of different political parties accused each other of directing voters to candidates of their choice. The polling station was closed for one hour only to resume when Bor County Commissioner Maker Lual Kuol intervened. Security was later beeped up to maintain order.

As voters’ turnout fades, the forecast for politicians contesting in these swiftly shifted to results expected next week.

(ST)