South Sudan parliament says referendum should be held on time

June 18, 2010 (JUBA) – The parliament of the semi autonomous region of Southern Sudan on Friday urged the two peace partners to speed up the process of the conduct of Southern Sudan referendum, saying any delays would not be in the interest of the people of the region.

Peter Bashir Gbandi, a newly elected controller of the regional assembly in Juba told the press that the people of Southern Sudan will not accept any political delay to postpone the conduct of referendum as stipulated in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA).

“We all know that referendum commissions for both Southern Sudan and Abyei have not yet been formed though discussions over formation started long enough, because certain people are playing political tricks to delay conduct of the referendum on time,” he said.

“We know their intentions and they should also know that South Sudan will not accept these tricks to delay conduct of the referendum but it will be conducted as stipulated in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement. Referendum must be conducted on time and this was why the house joined a youth procession demanding conduct of the referendum as per schedule last week,” he added.

Honorable Bashir who participated in the recently carried out youth procession for separation in the capital, Juba, urged that all stakeholders and citizens in the region should now get prepared to participate in the upcoming referendum.

“Referendum is a one-time event. Therefore, our people need to massively show up during registration so that it is conducted successfully,” he said.

He further added that for referendum to be successful it must be a collective responsibility. “We need to put our acts together as one and the same people regardless of political status. It must be coordinated and monitored fully by all of us,” he stressed.

Former member of the Southern Sudan Legislative Assembly, Deng Thiep Akok, also described referendum as one of the significant events stipulated in the 2005 North-South peace deal that must be conducted without political compromise.

“The two parties can compromise over the other elements [of CPA] but not in the conduct of the referendum because it is the only binding piece of hope left with the people of South Sudan,” he said.

The people of Sudan’s oil producing region are expected to participate in the referendum scheduled to be conducted in January 2011 under observation of the international community and regional actors that helped push for the peace deal which was signed in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi five years ago.

As part of the deal, the referendum exercise will determine the political destiny of the people of Southern Sudan between unity with the north and creation of their own independent state.

The people of the oil contested area of Abyei at the south-north border will equally vote to decide on whether to confirm remaining part of Southern Kordofan in the central Sudan or becoming part of Warrap state in Southern Sudan.

(ST)