UN Panel On Referenda Commends SSRC For Keeping Registration Schedule

17 November 2010 – (Juba) – The UN panel tasked with monitoring the referenda has commended the work done by the South Sudan Referendum Commission and the South Sudan Referendum Bureau.

The chairperson of the panel former Tanzanian President Benjamin Mkapa spoke to reporters in Juba on Tuesday.

[Benjamin Mkapa]: “We have visited some registration centers and we wish to express our appreciations for the tremendous work that has been done by the commission and the bureau here in the south to make sure that the registration process starts as planned at the 15th of November we congratulate them on this achievement. Show up has been relatively good. The sites we visited in the north were somehow sparse in terms of the people waiting to be registered but that is understandable because this is the week of the Eid holiday. But here in Juba we have been immensely impressed by the turnout they are very disciplined, very excited and obviously we consider that this is a landmark process leading up to the 9th of January.”

Mr. Mkapa also has said that the CPA partners have reiterated their commitments to the conduct of the 2011 referendum.

[Benjamin Mkapa]: “From our conversation we were told by those who are responsible for the technical arrangement for January 9th, that they believe that this can be achieved. The rest are really political problems which are in the hands of the political leadership of the principle parties for the CPA. As you may have heard from President Thabo Mbeki over the weekend, the framework is being worked out. He has asked the people of Abyei not to give up but the work is on the way and we just hope that when the talks resume on 22nd they will lead up to a definitive conclusion which can enable this process to end credibly and successfully.”

The panel is also expected to travel to Abyei.