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Sudan Referendum Commission Not Yet Ready for Registration

   Peter Clottey 28 September 2010
   A  southern  Sudanese  woman chants with pro-independence activists as
   they  march  through  the  southern  capital  of  Juba  on 9 Sep 2010.
   Hundreds  of  citizens  took  part in the rally, which aims to bolster
   support for an independence referendum that will determi

Photo: AP

   A  southern  Sudanese  woman chants with pro-independence activists as
   they  march  through  the  southern  capital  of  Juba  on 9 Sep 2010.
   Hundreds  of  citizens  took  part in the rally, which aims to bolster
   support for an independence referendum that will determine if southern
   Sudan  will  formally  secede  from  the  north to form an independent
   country.

   The  chairman  of  Sudanâs  referendum  commission  said  there  is no
   specific  date  scheduled  for registration to begin ahead of the 9^th
   January   referendum   after   south   Sudan   residents  accused  his
   organization of delays.

   Mohammed  Ibrahim Khalil told VOA before registration begins there are
   a number of steps that need to be taken such as appointing a committee
   that  will  recruit  people  to  manage  the  registration, as well as
   polling centers.

   âWhen  you  say  the registration has been postponed, or delayed, that
   will  imply  that  a date was fixed and that date was changed. But, no
   date  has  ever  been  fixed.  No  one  has  made  any  decision  that
   registration  should  begin  on  such  and  such  a  day.  Neither the
   commission nor the government, or any person, has made that decision.â

   Khalil  said  his organization will need about 10,500 field workers to
   manage 3,600 registration centers across the country.

   He also said that the referendum commission, in conjunction with other
   international  organizations  including  the  U.N.,  will  oversee the
   training  of  the  field workers in order to ensure the credibility of
   the entire referendum process.

   Some  civil  society  groups in the semi-autonomous south have accused
   the  referendum  commission of delaying tactics to purposely undermine
   the referendum.

   Khalil  said,  this  week,  his organization will begin reconnaissance
   work  in  Sudanâs  north  to  determine  where  the trained commission
   managers would be most needed ahead of the referendum.

   But,  he  said  his  organization  will  do everything in its power to
   organize the referendum.

   âThe  registration  materials  were presented to us about 10 days ago.
   And,  as soon as it was presented to us, we in the commission approved
   it  in  two  days  without delay. It has been sent to South Africa for
   printing.  It has been decided, quite some time ago, that it will lead
   to  efficiency  and  that  it  will expedite things if it were printed
   abroad.â

   Khalil  added that the referendum commission has been assured that the
   registration  materials  would be ready by 23^rd October. He also said
   that  his  organization  will  need  three  weeks  (15^th November) to
   distribute the printed materials ahead of the vote.

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