‘Cast your vote correctly in January’ says Lakes governor

By Manyang Mayom

December 27, 2010 (RUMBEK) – The Governor of Lakes state Chol Tong Mayay donated 5,000 Sudanese Pounds ($2,000) to a church womens group at Pacong twin cathedral church of Rumbek East County of Lakes state on Sunday.

Speaking at the mass prayer service, Governor Tong affirmed that womens groups all around Southern Sudan had done a lot of good work in the registration process of the regions referendum on independence.

He said that the donation is aimed to boost the morale of women across Rumbek East County so that they fully participate in referendum awareness and reach remote areas.

Tong called upon all 300,444 registered voters in the states to turnout during voting day on January 9 to cast their votes correctly.

The governor said that the goal of the referendum would be achieved “through voting for independent of Southern Sudan.”

He said “we are happy for the turnout register voters but we still need them to vote in big numbers”.

A turnout of over 60% is needed for the vote to be valid. A result of over 51% is needed in favor of independence in order for the south to secede under referendum law.

The governor said there would be “no return back to war with Khartoum government” as “we don’t need more shed tears in Sudan once again, we need completely peace to continue.

“This referendum is not for myself as Governor Chol Tong, or SPLA [the southern army and former rebels] or belong to any political party in Southern Sudan, it belongs to people of Southern Sudan every where they are – we must vote correctly to avoid moralization from Khartoum and to establish our state of peace and to become master of our own resources in our state.”

The south’s governing party the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) Lakes state secretary Samuel Mathiang Keer, told the church gathering that SPLM had declared officially to campaign for total independent of South Sudan from Khartoum.

David Nok Marial, advisor in the ministry of Information and broadcasting in the Government of Southern Sudan, also encouraged voters to chose separation of South Sudan from the north.

Nok said that majority of Christians are not given their rights in Khartoum and solution to end that such injustice is only separation from Khartoum.

The adviser said: “If war comes again, I will not go to frontline. I will just sit behind and command your son to fight. If you need to prevent war, let us vote correctly to bring out South Sudan.

“Let us vote correctly to bring out Southern Sudan from Khartoum as independent state, if you don’t vote then you are seeking for war – this is not right option of SPLM to return back the country to war – we are looking [forward to a] peaceful referendum and [for] South Sudan’s independence to be achieved through [the] vote.”

A church member from the Mother’s Union, Yar Moses Majok, said she appreciate the donation from the governor saying that “we are now happy because this state government has recognized the importance of women roll in South Sudan activities”.

She added that church women will advocate for people to vote in the referendum.

She told the governor that Pacong payam (locality) had been affected by a lack of drinking water in some areas. She noted that nobody had repaired water pumps had broken.

(ST)