Salva Kiir polling centre in Aweil leads massive turnouts across southern Sudan

By Ngor Arol Garang

January 10, 2011 (JUBA) – Referendum officials in Aweil, the capital of southern Sudanese state of Northern Bahr el Ghazal, on Monday said polling centres in the area continue to be overwhelmed by massive turnouts.

Reverend Wol Kuot, chairperson of the state referendum high committee, said he was amazed by the massive turnout in all the areas he has been visiting since yesterday.

“What happened yesterday and today is quite amazing. All the centres were overwhelmed. In all the areas we visited the lines were long, as thousands of people started to arrive before the polling officials. I was told some people from distant places came to sleep at the polling centres on Saturday so that they would be the first to vote yesterday,” explained Wol.

The main rival to Governor Paul Malong Awan Anei, who won last April’s elections, is a military officer who became a popular candidate during the elections campaigns, General Dau Aturjong, cast his ballot on Sunday morning as the polls opened.

The referendum official said that in Aweil town, the Salva Kiir polling centre was the first centre to receive over 1,000 votes because some people slept there. “In Aweil town, one of the centres which was overwhelmed, was named after Salva Kiir. The other centre was Maper Akot’s.” said Wol

Despite the cold of the night, long before the polls even opened, people across southern Sudan began lining up at polling stations to cast their votes in what president of the semi- autonomous regional government of southern Sudan, Salva Kiir Mayardit described as a “historic movement” while casting his vote on Sunday.

Wol said people in Aweil have already started celebrating the upcoming results: “You find almost everybody everywhere you go happy. People are found everywhere dancing and singing as if they are celebrating something. Even though it is a secret others are openly telling friends what they have voted for. Aweil is in celebratory mood since Sunday.”

Garang Kuot Kuot, Secretary General in the state described the referendum vote as encouraging, saying that the crowds had made it clear that secession is the popular choice for southern Sudanese.

Speaking to Sudan Tribune at home and at the polling centre in Juba, reverend William Mou Deng said that he feels like he is “already in a new state.”

He went on to that God for “answering prayers of our people to reach this day. This is the day our people have been waiting for. It has come and this is why we see them voting in such huge numbers.” He said he will continue asking God to ensure the remaining issues in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement are resolved.

“As a church we will continue to turn to God, the father, to ensure that the remaining issues are resolved in good faith. We will continue to pray so that the post-referendum arrangements, the border demarcation, the issue of Abyei and many others are resolved in the spirit of peace and brotherhood,” appealed reverend William.

With the sun emitting out its array, nobody minds about it being in the sky in Juba. Since it began, voting has gripped Juba, the capital and southern Sudan. Men and women are happily chatting as they wait to cast their votes. Elderly people, the pregnant and the infirm got priority at the voting centres. There was little complaint from voters who were eager to make their democratic wishes known. There was a powerful air of jubilation throughout Juba as people openly embraced and cheered.

Reflecting on his bush life as pastor, William Mou Deng said southern Sudan has suffered a lot, and after years of civil war, oppression and displacement, many people here saw the vote as an unprecedented chance at self-determination.

“Others never thought such a day would come. The referendum was like a mere dream. Nobody knew there would be referendum like this today,” said William, explaining that the referendum ballot offered two choices: unity with northern Sudan or secession for freedom. Unity was represented on the ballot by a drawing of two clasped hands and secession by a single open hand. Many people rely on these symbols, as more than
three-quarters of south Sudanese adults cannot read.

(ST)