Majority of Equatorians believe S. Sudan’s economy is losing direction: poll
By Julius N. Uma
August 22, 2012 (JUBA) – Over 80 percent of people in South Sudan’s Greater Equatoria region believe the country’s economy is headed in the wrong
direction, hardly two months after its first independence anniversary, a recent (IRI) report concluded.
IRI is a US government funded organisation which has been carrying out international ‘democratization programs’ since its inception during the Regan administration.
According to IRI, when it began “advancing democracy was seen as a noble endeavor; today, it is recognized as a defense against terrorism.”
In May the South Sudan’s inflation, according to IRI, stood at nearly 80 percent, with officials attributing the upsurge to the increasing fuel prices worsened by January’s oil production halting.
Oil revenue%usly accounted for about 98 percent of South Sudan’s annual budget.
The survey, which focused on the attitudes of citizens in the Greater Equatoria, also covered issues such as democracy and governance, service provision, security, constitutional issues, attitudes toward political parties and general demographics of the population in the region.
Conducted between 21 May and 15 June, the poll is one of a series of public opinion surveys, both regional and national, that IRI is undertaking in South Sudan over the next three years.
Overall, nearly 50 percent of Equatorians felt the country is headed in the right direction, down from 54 percent when the institute conducted the first national poll in September last year. Most of the population cited food shortage, insecurity, cattle raids and fear of invasion from foreign armies also emerged as major concerns.
In total, 1,547 adults aged 18 and above from all three states of Greater Equatoria were sampled during the three weeks survey, which was managed by research team from Samahi; a local South Sudanese research firm, while the results were analysed by Opinion Research Business (ORB).
The survey, according to IRI’s James Turitto, was administered through face-to-face interviews, with preference to the respondents’ choice of language. The margin of error in the survey, he added, did not exceed plus or minus 2.5 percent.
CONSTITUTIONAL CRISIS
As South Sudan embarks on a nationwide constitutional review process, at least 67 percent of the people in the Greater Equatoria, the survey notes, remain unaware of the country’s Transitional Constitution, signed into law on 9 July, 2011.
Of those interviews in Eastern Equatoria 83 percent said they had never heard of the constitution, raising doubts on the success of the planned review process.
Politically, 73 percent of the citizens in the Greater Equatoria believe South Sudan’s ruling party (SPLM) has done tremendously well, yet 31 percent of them still held the view that there is only one political party in South Sudan.
SERVICE PROVISION
Generally, most Equatorians, according to the IRI poll, have noticed development efforts in the last 12 months, especially in key sectors of the economy such as health (63 percent), provision of drinking water (62 percent), education (61 percent), building of new roads (50 percent ) and disarmament (34 percent).
Both the national and state government are credited for building the country’s infrastructure, while 59 percent of the people lauded the former is disarmament efforts, which has greatly reduced the occurrence of tribal-related violence.
SECURITY
Despite growing insecurity concern, over 75 percent of Equatorians believe South Sudan’s security situation has immensely improved in the last 12 months, instead expressing their fears regarding possible escalation of cattle raids, local crimes, domestic and other gender-related forms of violence.
(ST)