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Sudan Referendum Commission Spokesman Denies Internal Rift

   Peter Clottey 04 November 2010

Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS

   Sudan's President Omar Hassan Al-Bashir

   The  spokesman  for  Sudanâs  referendum commission has denied reports
   that  the  alleged  dictatorial  management  style  of Mohamed Ibrahim
   Khalil,   chairman  of  the  organization,  threatens  to  derail  the
   scheduled 9^th January referendum.

   George  Benjamin  described the report as full of pure lies peddled by
   what  he  called  a  disgruntled  former  official  of  the referendum
   commission who was fired over his incompetence.

   âProfessor  Khalil  is  working  very  comfortably with all the senior
   members and the junior members of the commission, and work is going on
   very well in the commission,â said Benjamin.

   âYes, there has been this talk about time frame of the 9^th of January
   when  polling  for  the referendum is to start. And, this goes back to
   the  very  fact  that  the  commission  itself  was formed late in the
   constitution,  and  in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA).  This
   commission  should  have  been formed in the third year of the interim
   period.â

   This  came  after  the  Sudan  Tribune reported that the spokesman for
   south Sudanâs referendum commission resigned citing disagreements with
   Khalil.

   The report sharply criticized the âautocraticâ management style of the
   head of the electoral commission.

   But, referendum commission spokesman Benjamin said the report was mere
   speculation  aimed at creating doubts about the organizationâs ability
   to organize the referendum.

   He  also  said  the referendum commission has begun training officials
   who  will  compile  the  voter list that would be used for the January
   vote.

   âOur  plans  are  going  as  scheduled. We are training people for the
   registration  processes  and  the  material  for  the registration has
   arrived in the country, both in Juba in southern Sudan and in Khartoum
   for  the  state  of  northern  Sudan.  The  state committees have been
   appointed  and  the  county  committee has been formed and the work is
   going  as  planned  so  that  registration starts on the 15^th of this
   month.â

   Meanwhile,  the referendum commission is scheduled to launch its media
   campaign Sunday to educate Sudanese about the upcoming referendum.

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