Low registration turn-out in Northern Sudan
Former Tanzanian president Benjamin Mkapa, who is leading the United Nation Secretary General’s panel monitoring the Southern Sudan Referendum, said there has been a low turn-out in the first phase of the voters\' registration in Northern Sudan.
After visiting different registration centres within Khartoum State he said, \"We saw that so far the number of people who have registered is extremely small. Hopefully that will change in the days ahead.”
\"We are pleased that the registration phase has begun on time.\"
Mkapa however expressed hope after reports from the panel’s team in the South indicated a tremendous voter turn-out for the registration in the South. From our staff in the field we know [that] people have been turning out in large numbers across the South today to register. We are also pleased that the registration phase has begun on time,” Mkapa said.
He called on, the Southern Sudanese to register wherever they were in Sudan, assuring the people of the panel’s support in monitoring the registration process and hopefully the voting: \"We hope that Southern Sudanese, whether they live in the North or the South, will have the opportunity to register so they can take part in the vote on the 9 January 2011. We will continue to monitor developments on the ground”. He also promised that the panel would visit more registration centres within the country, to evaluate the progress of the voters’ registration.
The team which comprises of former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Portugal, Mr. António Monteiro, and Mr. Bhojraj Pokharel, former Chairman of the Election Commission of Nepal, represents the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon with the task to strengthen confidence in the Sudanese-led referenda process, and to encourage the parties and relevant authorities to resolve any significant problems or disputes ahead of the referendum.
Many Southern Sudanese in Northern Sudan, concerning the reasons behind the poor turn up in the voter’s registration, claim they did not know the locations of the registration centres, and that the authorities did not make this information public. Some, like Irene Imorong - a mother of five - will not register in the North as they plan to move home to South Sudan ahead of the referendum. I’m waiting to go to the South and register there”, she said.
\"[...] They will change my voice.\"
Jacob Mabior Majok said he does not trust voting in the North. I’m not going to register and vote here, they will change my choice. If I fail to register let my brothers vote in the South, I know what they will do and I trust them”, he said.
