SPLM dismisses NCP-backed lawsuit on referendum

By Julius N. Uma

December 11, 2010 (JUBA) — A senior official from south Sudan’s ruling Sudan’s Peoples Liberation Movement (SPLM) has scoffed at the lawsuit allegedly filed against Southern Sudan Referendum Commission (SSRC) and the SPLM, describing the petition as “baseless and lacking legal grounds”.

The website of Sudan Media Center (SMC), believed to be run by Khartoum’s intelligence services reported that the Supreme Council for Peace and Unity filed a lawsuit with the constitutional court, saying that the SPLM controls the performance and the work of the SSRC in the legal and procedural issues related voter registration.

The head of the Supreme Council for Peace and Unity, Paul Layli, said that the SPLM, has acted contrary to the interim constitution and the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), which gave the south the right to self determination.

The referendum, due to be held on January 9 could see Sudan’s autonomous and mostly Christian south break away from the predominantly Arab and Muslim north.

Anne Itto Leonardo, SPLM deputy Secretary General for southern sector has completely rubbished the pro-National Congress Party (NCP) petitioner’s move, saying the referendum has no quorum in the 2005 peace accord.

“Talking about a quorum at this critical time when our people have just successfully completed voters’ registration in nonsensical. What are they [petitioners] talking about? The law is very clear,” Itto, also South Sudan’s Minister for Agriculture and Forestry told journalist at a press briefing held in Juba, the South Sudan capital.

Three weeks of voter registration for the referendum officially ended on December 8, with almost three million people signing up to vote in the south, SSRC officials said.

The SPLM spokesperson further warned the alleged petitioners to desist from what she described as joking with the referendum process, which will determine the fate of the semi-autonomous region.

“The critics should not play with the referendum which is less than a month away from now. Any attempt to frighten Southern Sudanese from exercising their right to self-determination is itself unconstitutional,” Itto said.

According to local media reports, Khalil Ibrahim, the SSRC Chairperson has said that constitutional court has no jurisdiction to look into challenges and complaints against the referendum body because it will conflict with the referendum law, which states that signatories to the CPA should create a conducive environment to conduct the plebiscite.

“Those people are either ignorant of the law or went to [get advice] from people who have no knowledge of the law,” Khalil said.

However, while a simple majority of 50 percent plus one vote is needed to decide either for unity or independence, the vote will only be valid if 60 percent of registered voters turn out.

Meanwhile, the south-ruling party has strongly condemned what it described as the Khartoum government’s “deliberate” attempt to provoke southerners into starting another war.

The SPLM has on several in the past few weeks has accused forces the northern army of bombing parts of Northern Bahr el Ghazal state, allegedly in pursuit of Darfur rebel leaders in the south.

“The NCP should know that the south is not prepared to become a failed state. Whatever injustices they are doing will never change mind of the southern population,” the SPLM deputy secretary general said.

(ST)