Referendum Registration Begins But Delays In Egypt, USA And Australia

15 November 2010 – (Khartoum) – The Southern Sudan Referendum Commission announced the start of the referendum voter registration exercise on Monday the 15th of November, citing a delay in centers in Egypt, United States of America and Australia.

SSRC chairman Prof. Mohamed Ibrahim Khalil addressed the press on Sunday in Khartoum.

[Mohamed Ibrahim Khalil]: “The voter registration exercise will start; it is the first stage of the referendum. Registration and voting have three levels, the Sudan level, the southern Sudan level and the Diaspora level. And God willing, we hope registration will continue for a period of seventeen days. However, suddenly we discovered that seven days out of the seventeen coincide with the holidays of Eid (feast) Aladha and there are protocol problems leading to a delay of registration in Egypt, meaning it will not start on time. Also in America there is a complaint regarding the number of registration centers, because of the size of America.”

According to Khalil, there are about 2,665 registration centers in Sudan, with 165 in the north.