UN commends referendum process in Jonglei state

By Thon Philip Aleu

January 10, 2011 (BOR) – Benjamin Mkapa, the Chairman of UN Secretary–General’s Panel for the Referenda in the Sudan, praised the organization and ability of southern Sudan referendum officials on a short visit to Bor, the capital of Jonglei state.

“We are very perfectly impressed by the organization on the first day of voting,” said Mkapa in a press conference after meeting Jonglei state governor, Kuol Manyang, referendum officials and touring polling centres in town.

The former president of Tanzania visited Jonglei state as part of UN observation into the conduct of south Sudan referendum that began on Sunday.

The UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, appointed the former Tanzanian president Benjamin Mkapa to lead a panel that will monitor the South Sudan and Abyei referenda on 21 September 2010.

In Bor on Monday, Mkapa was received by Jonglei state governor Kuol with state cabinet at Bor airstrip before holding a breif meeting in the council of ministers hall. Mkapa then visited Bor Secondary school, popularly known as Malek SS and proceed to meet the referendum state high committee.

After which, the UN SG’s representative “expressed deep appreciations and thanks to governor Kuol Manyang for warm and very African welcome” accorded to him today.

“We have been assured [that] the security situation in the state is good. We are confident that the polling will proceed fully and peacefully,” he said adding that polling staff “coped very well” with high turnout on the first day of referendum voting.

Meanwhile, short lines of people were seen today at polling centers – small in comparison to those seen on Thursday. More than half of the registered voters cast their votes on 9 January 2011, according to figures seen at polling locations today in Bor town.

Voting will run from 9-15 January 2011 with southern Sudanese voters choosing between remaining in a united Sudan or separating from the north.

Various opinion polls indicate that southerners will vote for secession. A 60% voter turnout is required of the 3.9 million registered southerners for the exercise to be valid according to Southern Sudan Referendum Act.

The referendum is a result of 2005 north-south peace accord that ended more than two decades of bloody civil war.

(ST)