Official: Jonglei preliminary results to be delayed

By Philip Thon Aleu

April 20, 2010 (BOR) – Preliminary results for April 11—15 polls may take days to be officially announced, says the head of the State Election High Committee. Delays in transportation of materials and counted results from rear constituencies to Bor, the State capital, among other constraints contributed to postponement of fractional outcomes of elections.

Speaking at Radio Jonglei FM 95.9 on Monday, Mecak Ajang Alaak called on political forces and the public to wait the results with calm and prepare for either a win or a loss.

“The announcement of preliminary results will delay,” Mr. Ajang said but fall short to specify the new date and day. A United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) helicopter is helping to transport election materials from Counties that are not connected to Bor by land, Ajang added giving credits to UN support for successful conduct of election here.

The first multiparty elections ended last Thursday after extension of polling for two days by amidst reports of names missing on voters’ roll and untimely commencement of voting in some States. Preliminary results were expected on Sunday April 18 and final results on Tuesday, April 20 but the National Elections Commission (NEC) says both dates have been pushed to unnamed day.

For Jonglei; a vast State without infrastructures and communications, the situation is even compounded. Few elections results dripped to Bor are being reconciled and tallied by electoral officials – a process that may also takes extra days.

However, the display of counted results at each polling station has relieved politicians and supporters of stress ahead of official announcement; for the winners or losers are known at parliamentary candidates. The NEC, however, has to confirm the consistence of the votes counting.

INDEPENDENT CANDIDATE URGES NEC TO ANNUL FRESH ELECTION

Kuol Bol Ayom, an independent candidate for Jonglei State legislative assembly, constituency number 27, urged the national electoral body to continue counting of votes and announcement of election results in the aftermath of election cancellation.

In a letter dated on April 18, 2010, and seen by the ST, Mr. Bol says “I have decided to withdraw my complaint for restoring my original symbol (padlock) and hereby undertake to continue with elections in the concerned constituency. I therefore ask the NEC to reverse the order canceling elections.”

NEC announced rerun of elections in 33 constituencies across the Country on Thursday last week including Athoc North constituency, Bor County.

A symbol of bucket of mistakenly printed instead of padlock by NEC on ballot papers against Kuol Bol’s name. His first letter of complain to NEC on March 31, 2010 was not immediately responded to; which, he says, “I had no choice but to accept the bucket and familiarized it to electorates…during the shirt time [9 days of official campaigns].”

Contested by four candidates, Athoc North Constituency is competitive. The contenders; Danial Deng Kut (SPLM), Buol Lual (Independent), Mayen Kur Kuer (NCP) but also Kuol Bol Ayom (Independent), are reluctance to refute of accept the NEC decision for fresh election. A State Election High Committee officer told the Sudan Tribune that one of the candidates has downplayed Mr. Kuol Bol’s complaint withdrawn.

Supporters of Kuol Bol are already pointing their fingers at the NEC and accuse the election highest decision making body in Khartoum of turning blind eye of real elections fraud.

“The NEC is not a candidate against Kuol Bol,” said Francis Chagai. “The international community says these elections are not free and fair and calling for fresh election at a constituency is wrong. But make a national rerun of elections,” he added.

The April polls are first inclusive elections in South Sudan since independence in 1956. Local people have express pleasure with the smooth running of polls and commend the transparency shown so far that awaits the official announcement of results in the next days.

The office of Election High Committee here is busy all day; receiving various materials, tallying results and reconciling presidential, gubernatorial and legislative votes counted for each constituency before authoritatively releasing any information.

(ST)