Originally posted by the Voice of America.
Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America,
a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in
the public domain.


Sudanâs Referendum Commission Seeks Delay in Voter Registration

   Peter Clottey 08 December 2010
   Residents  of  the remote south central Southern Sudan village of Nyal
   line  up  to  register  their  names at a local school being used as a
   voter registration office, 15 Nov 2010.

Photo: AFP

   Residents  of  the remote south central Southern Sudan village of Nyal
   line  up  to  register  their  names at a local school being used as a
   voter registration office, 15 Nov 2010.

   An  official  of  Sudanâs referendum commission told VOA the scheduled
   9^th  January referendum will âproceedâ as originally planned, despite
   a requested delay to allow the commission to address possible concerns
   over the just-ended voter registration.

   George  Benjamin,  spokesman  of  the  referendum commission, said the
   requested delay, in his words, will help organize a better referendum.

   âThe commission would have loved to have more time to do a better job.
   The  presidency will decide whether it was okay to proceed this way or
   to  give  more  time.  So,  he  (referendum  commission  head) did ask
   directly  for  more  time,  but  he  explained  the  difficulties  the
   commission is facing right now,â he said.

   Ibrahim  Khalil,  chairman of the commission, has petitioned President
   Omar Hassan al-Bashir, as well as First Vice President Salva Kiir, for
   a delay saying it will help the entire referendum process.

   It  is,  however,  unclear  if  the Sudan Peopleâs Liberation Movement
   (SPLM) will accept the requested delay.

   Benjamin  said  leaders  in Sudan would soon have to decide whether to
   accede to the commissionâs requested delay.

   âWithout  the extension, the commission will proceed ahead to organize
   and implement the referendum. We have just the registration and we are
   moving  to  the  other stages of objections and going to court, and so
   on,  and then publish the final register after that, and then have the
   vote on the 9^th of January,â said Benjamin.

   Meanwhile,  a  group  of  concerned  southern  Sudanese has reportedly
   petitioned   the  Constitutional  Court  to  dissolve  the  referendum
   commission  claiming  it has documented evidence of âgross violationsâ
   of the Referendum Act.

   But,   Benjamin   said   the  commission  has  not  yet  received  any
   communication from the court over the petition.

   âWe  will  respond  to  that in an official and in a legal way, if the
   court  officially  notifies  us  that there are such cases against the
   commission.  Of course, we will be concerned about anything said about
   the  commission.  But,  (those)  people raising these questions do not
   respond to the people for which the referendum is being run (for).â

.