Warrap sets to celebrate victory of the SPLM gubernatorial candidate

By Ngor Arol Garang

April 19, 2010 (WUNROK) — Votes sorting and counting operations entered its last day in the southern state of Warrap as preliminary results in five strong and most populated polling stations show SPLM gubernatorial candidate, Nyandeng Malek Deliech leading the race.

Bol Madut Riing, poll officer at Wunrok station told Sudan Tribune that votes sorting and counting process started late in the morning at ten o’clock saying they were waiting for agents representing other political contenders to participate in the operation.

“It took us four hours from 7:00AM to 10: AM waiting for agents representing their parties and candidates. They reluctantly showed up late at ten o’clock after sending them vehicles to collect them at their individual accommodations.” “We had to collect them one by one because majority of them were reluctant and did not want to participate in the counting,” he added.

Similarly, in Turalei constituency number 8, sorting and votes counting also started late at 11:00 Am yesterday with poll officials interviewed citing late arrival of agents representing other political parties.

The votes sorting and counting which started all over the country yesterday on Friday 16, finished today in all polling stations of Warrap. Others have already released their results. Although we started late at ten o’clock this morning, we remained in the counting room up to 7:30 PM when just finished, said Ms.Nyandeng Achuil Malek, agent representing SPLM in the polling Station.

Bol Ayuel Kuol, a poll officer at Turalei station also confirmed completion of the counting by phone to Sudan Tribune. We have finished the counting and results have made known to agents representing individual parties and their candidates, he said.

“General results will be made public by the National Election Commission head office at Kuajok tomorrow, our responsibilities are limited to polling stations,” he adds.

With results being announced in favor of the SPLM in some polling centers, Allesio Makuc Makuc Ngongdit, SPLM Secretary in Warrap State, who paid a brief visit to the area, said votes sorting and counting has already started without any problem in other counties and constituencies.

It has started very well in Gogrial West County , Tonj East, South and North counties and reports we have from our agents and other credible sources at those polling stations show our candidate, comrade Nyandeng Malek Deliech, is ahead other contenders by large margin.

For example, he said, in Jak polling station in Tonj South, where votes sorting and counting has been completed, SPLM candidate is ahead of her rival Mayom Kuoch of South Sudan Democratic Forum of Bona Malwal Madut Riing. She is leading by 1260 votes while Mayom is said to have got only 31 votes, he said.

Yasir Saeed Arman got 1017 and Bashir with 18 votes, Salva Kiir 1171 and Dr. Lam with 02 votes.

In Akon polling station, Gogrial West County, home Payam of the GOSS president Salva Kiir Mayardit, her rival got almost nothing than just three votes and the rest goes to the SPLM candidate for governorship and the other SPLM candidates, he said adding illiterate voters at these polling stations come asking for the star, SPLM symbol, during voting process.

They do not bother asking symbols for candidates from other political parties, they go straight to SPLM boxes with our symbols. “This is why candidates from other political parties are getting little votes because majority of the voters are local people who could come rushing for boxes with our symbols,” he said.

Those who voted for candidates from other political parties are few literate intellectuals who are either their members or individuals with personal problems with other individual members of the SPLM but not majority, Makuc said.

In Alek, Atuk Kuel, Gogrial town, Kuajok town, LuonyAker, Panliet and Abyei, reports coming from SPLM agents and others show the same position that our candidate is leading, he said.

No way, he said adding these people — in reference to Bona Malwal’s party candidates — were previously told openly by their own people not to waste their resources during electoral campaign but gave it a deaf ear hoping that they would defeat SPLM.

They thought what people told them were jokes, they just got it now, said another excited SPLM member accompanying Secretary General. The official who identified himself as John Akot added this preliminary result in favor of the SPLM demonstrates clearly “to these loosing candidates that their parties have little to attract public support in the south”.

In all polling centers of Warrap state, SPLM candidates have never dropped from leading their rivals. Arman has been leading Bashir in most centers including those did not vote for Bashir, Makuc adding there are centers whose electorates have failed completely to vote for president Bashir. The same applies to Dr. Lam Akol against Salva Kiir Mayardit. Sometimes, in some centers, people vote for Lam by mistake, he adds.

(ST)