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NCP Proposes Extended Interim Period to Resolve Issues

   Peter Clottey  25 January 2011

Photo: AP

   Vote counting during the recent southern Sudan referendum

   A  senior  member of Sudanâs ruling National Congress Party (NCP) told
   VOA  an  agreement between his party and the Sudan Peopleâs Liberation
   Movement  (SPLM) to extend the âinterim periodâ will help expedite the
   resolution of the outstanding issues between the north and south.

   Rabie  Abdelati  Obeid said such an extension would not, in his words,
   hamper  the  independence  of  southern  Sudan or the formation of its
   government.

   âFor  the interim period, that which is left after the announcement of
   the  results  of  the  referendum for self-determination of the south,
   when  we  look  to  it,  it  will  be very short time to look into the
   crucial  and  very important issues like how to demarcate the borders,
   how  to  establish the relations between the two partners and also how
   to settle the debt of the country,â said Obeid.

   âYou  know,  to establish a country is not easy because, at least, all
   these  issues should be settled clearly. And also, we should guarantee
   that  this  new  state  should  have revenues that may help to provide
   services  and  also  to continue to building infrastructure like roads
   and bridges and electricity.â

Obeid

   Dr.  Rabie  Abdelati  Obeid  is a prominent member of Sudan's dominant
   National Congress Party (NCP)

   He said his party is still committed to what he described as a smooth,
   full  implementation  of  the  rest  of  the  provisions  of  the 2005
   Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA).

   The  governing  NCP has urged the SPLM to agree to an extension of the
   interim   period  beyond  the  originally  scheduled  9^th  July  date
   stipulated in the CPA.

   Obeid  said  his  partyâs  request  is  not  a  ploy  to delay what he
   described  as  the  implementation  of  the  outcome  of the week-long
   referendum  that  will  determine  the  future  of the semi-autonomous
   south.

   âThis will not hinder the formation of the government of the south and
   this  will not stop the governance in the south. But, this is only for
   the  outstanding  issues.  This  is not to postpone the results of the
   referendum  for  the  self-determination of the south. I think that we
   have to differentiate between the two,â said Obeid.

   âThe establishment of good relations and granting the full cooperation
   between  two  countries maybe needs more than six months. We are still
   building  relations  with  Egypt, with Chad and with Eritrea and other
   neighboring  countries,  and  we  are  not  satisfied  yet  that these
   relations are very strong.â

   He  also  said  that  there is need for both his party and the SPLM to
   establish  and  maintain  strong  bilateral  relations after the south
   becomes independent.

   Meanwhile,  Sudanese  President Omar al-Bashir has said his government
   accepts southern Sudan's vote to separate from the north.
   Speaking to supporters in Sudan's River Nile state Tuesday, Mr. Bashir
   said  the south's secession "has become a reality."Â  He noted that 99
   percent  of  southerners voted for separation in a landmark referendum
   this month.
   Mr.  Bashir  said  his  party  will  not  be sad about the result but,
   instead, will go to the south to celebrate with the region's people.
   International  observers  have  said  the  vote  was  free,  fair, and
   credible.

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