Lakes State Governor instructs to cover referendum issues
By Manyang Mayom
July 23, 2010 (RUMBEK) – The Governor of Lakes State, Chol Tong, directed state radio on Thursday to dedicate all evening radio broadcasts to covering the referendum on southern independence that is due to take place in January 2011.
The governor said that the media needed to spread awareness of the referendum and issues that may obstruct the referendum process, such as demarcating the border between north and south Sudan.
Tong told the Minister of Information and Communication, Marik Nanga Marik, that radio broadcasts needed to translate complicated referendum issues like the referendum law into language people could understand.
The referendum was agreed as part of a 2005 peace deal between Sudan’s ruling National Congress Party and the former southern rebel group, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement – SPLM. Under the peace deal, known as the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), the SPLM have governed southern Sudan as a semi-autonomous region for the last five years.
Governor Tong gave the instructions at a workshop run by the Justice Africa organization in Rumbek, on the safety and citizenship status of southern Sudanese in northern Sudan and northern Sudanese in southern Sudan in the eventuality that the south secedes from the north following next years referendum on southern independence.
The workshop at Bros and Company Hotel brought together top government officials from Lakes state, civil society, churches, youth and women.
Lakes State Legislative Assembly member John Marik Makur, told the workshop that county representatives will offer to support referendum awareness campaigns in the remaining five months until the referendum.
Neha Erasmus, the Justice Africa team leader at the workshop, said that spreading awareness of the referendum was challenging due to the vastness of the area that needed to be covered. Southern Sudan has an area of around 640,000 square kilometres, a poor transport network and difficult terrain such as the Sudd – a huge swamp created by the White Nile.
Justice Africa is organising workshops in all ten state capitals of southern Sudan.
Stephen Pande, the Project Coordinator, said the dialogue hopes to bring together different stakeholders in the future of southern Sudan such as government officials, civil society, churches, youth, and women.
(ST)
Kon Paul Awenchol
Lakes State Governor instructs to cover referendum issues
Dear Lakes people.
“A right delayed is a right denied” when things of the South goes in a rightful way postal political charge is being carry on by the others political parties like SPLM-DC who is falsifying here that,it chairman may made a surprise to the people of Southern Sudan,a word blow into the blue air space dancing on the volcanic lava which may erupt at any time but this time need the Unity of Southern people with their different political forces to chat unchattable situation with the North to avoid dragging his feet in all referendum processes a diversification to go in 2011 if the two parties disagree on the referendum result said by Karti a foreign minister who have just assume the office in New Sudan term which is the Vision of the SPLM. Lakes people use to carry things out in a very well scrutinize and good planned mannerism since 1955 up to date.it’s the role of Comrade H:E Eng Chol Tong Mayay to co-related and urge Radio FM 98 to alert people of Lakes to know what is coming a head of them and vote as they did to Chol Tong during the Election.
Charge of Racism:it’s time to bury the divisive politics of the past.
iam sadded by the NCP/NIF claim that patriotic Sudanese who stand up for the Sudan of Sudanese constitutional right are somehow racist,”the charge that NCP party judge people by the colour of their skin is false,appalling and is a regressive and diversionary tactic”.the ticket of independent is already out since Bashir left out SPLM representative from his advisable team from presidential office,i-e a full declaring of that Southern Sudan is an independent state and i hope from the Southern Sudan community will make it hundred percent as they did it to their hero president of GOSS.
Long live the people of Southern Sudan,Long live the people of Great Lakes Region,Long live the SPLM leadership,Long live the SPLA,Victory will continue.
THE TRUE CITIZEN.