Referendum staff complain of lack of food and water
At Gumbo polling centre, about six kilometres from Juba town, staff say the situation is bad. It is far from the town and Emmanuel Wani, an official at Gumbo Centre ‘B” said no body brought them food: We are suffering since we started yesterday at eight o’clock up to now nothing to eat,” Wani said and suggested: They could bring for us ten percent of our salaries in advance so that we can use it for our lunch”.
\"Women and men are turning up in large numbers and we are working hard.”
The complaints were not only in Gumbo but in most polling centres all over Juba. At the University of Juba, polling staff shared the same complaints. However, another official at Gumbo Centre A”, James Pitia Joseph, said despite of the hunger situation of the polling staff, work is progressing very well. ”Voters still line up in long queues, both women and men are turning up in large numbers and we are working hard.”, Pitia said.
Wani disclosed that 419 people voted yesterday out of 2.293 registered at Centre B, and at Centre A 631 voted yesterday, totalling 1.050, out of 4.884 registered across the two centres.
The Information department at the Southern Sudan Referendum Bureau (SSRB) said money was sent to the State Referendum High Committees, which are in charge of the voting officials at the states. They said it was not the responsibility of the SSRB but of the States who are tasked to take care of the officials.
The Central Equatoria State Referendum High Committee Public Outreach told the SUDANVOTES on the phone that each official was given sixty pounds, about twenty dollars for their food and water.
During last year\'s general elections, some election officials protested by keeping away from work due to lack of payment. Some voters are worried the referendum polling could turn the same way.
