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Sudan Tribune

Plural news and views on Sudan

Sudan referendum bill finally sees the light

December 29, 2009 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese national assembly today adopted the controversial referendum law after ironing out the disputed portions of the bill that led to political stalemate over the last couple of months between the dominant National Congress Party (NCP) and the Sudan People Liberation Movement (SPLM) which represents the ruling party of South Sudan.

Tahir1.jpgAfter a series of retaliatory measures by SPLM including giving its MP’s boycotting the parliament and leading two demonstrations this month in the Sudanese capital, the NCP conducted marathonic talks to bridge differences on the referendum law among others.

Last week the Sudanese NCP bloc introduced changes to the original text of the law that angered the ex-Southern rebel group leading to its MP’s walking out during the voting session. The NCP utilized its simple majority to endorse the law.

However, the NCP later changed hearts and agreed to send the bill back to the parliament to remove the amendment following criticism from the US administration and the EU.

Sudan official news agency (SUNA) said that the national assembly adopted articles 27 and 67 dealing with voter registration centres and the criteria by which a Southerners in the North.

Under the law, south Sudanese living outside the south and born before January 1, 1956, the date of Sudan’s independence, must vote in the south.

But south Sudanese living outside the south and born after January 1, 1956 would be able to vote in their place of residence, whether in the north or abroad.

Both sides hailed the passage of the referendum law.

“This law is not a law of separation for south Sudan but is a law for the referendum. We all need to unite Sudan and work towards unity,” said deputy speaker Atem Garang of the SPLM.

“This law has given southerners who came to the north fleeing the war a chance to vote,” said top National Congress Party official Ibrahim Ghandour.

However, most observers anticipate a landslide vote by Southern Sudanese in favor of secession when the 2011 referendum is held owing to two decades of civil war as well as ideological, ethnic and religious differences.

There are some sticky items to be determined on a technical level on post-secession arrangements including the division of assets and liabilities, water share, status of South Sudanese living in the North and vice versa.

Also, the demarcation of the North-South borders has yet to be completed.

On Wednesday the national assembly will vote on a law governing the referendum in Abyei, which lies on the north-south border, on whether it wants to remain part of the north or join the south should it become independent.

(ST)

60 Comments

  • Gatwech
    Gatwech

    Sudan referendum bill finally sees the light
    Self-determination for the independence of the marginalized people of the Sudan Oyeeee…………

    Reply
  • Dinka Boy
    Dinka Boy

    Sudan referendum bill finally sees the light
    I think there is confusion here!
    NCP want to alternate the point.

    Check this para==

    “Under the law, south Sudanese living outside the south and born before January 1, 1956, the date of Sudan’s independence, must vote in the south”.
    “But south Sudanese living outside the south and born after January 1, 1956 would be able to vote in their place of residence, whether in the north or abroad”.

    Reply
  • Hillary B.M.L,M
    Hillary B.M.L,M

    Sudan referendum bill finally sees the light

    Enough, then it is our role now to decide.

    Am happy that am going to vote in Khartoum or could a bit move South to Rank.

    As i mentioned, those good negotiators are those who understand Arabic language (the Language of Ali Osman, Ibrahim Gandul, Nafi Ali Nafi). This Time little congratulation goes to Dr. Riek and his capable Team of Negotiators.

    Reply
  • Gatwech
    Gatwech

    Sudan referendum bill finally sees the light
    Dear readers,

    Oh no…Dinka Boy said he was born in 1976. Read his comment above.

    Dinka Boy??? You said you were born in 1976 and you still call yourself a boy???

    Let me get my calculator to be precise. 2009 – 1976 = 33 years. So you are 33 years old and you still call yourself a boy???

    May be you are a boy in your retarded brain (mind) but not a boy in your whole physical being considering your age.

    In our South Sudan constitution, you can become a member of parliament in Juba at the age of 25, right? This means that you could have become MP since eight years ago.

    Oh, boy. I would love to hear the 33 years old boy arguing like you do on the net in the parliament. Dinka Boy, you have already grown up physically but still a boy mentally.

    I was born in 1980 and this means that I am about four to five years younger than you because I am 29 years old. But I don’t call myself a boy. I am a responsible person and can even challenge President Kiir in good decision making. I am a man and not a boy!!!

    I thought Dinka Boy was just below 18 years old. I alerted you guys the other day that these cousins of ours who participate on this net pretend to be small boys just to confuse the readers that their poor quality comments are those of small boys when in fact they are of old people. Now if the Dinka Boy of 33 years old pretends to be a boy on this net, what about the Murle Screwed, Khent, SPLA, etc, etc. These are old politicians. Some are more 50 years old. They have just run out of ideas because they have been screwed up (caught red-handed) in their failed corrupt tribal leadership.

    If their youngest boy is Dinka Boy on this net, guess how old the rest could be…

    Reply
  • M.Cool.J
    M.Cool.J

    Sudan referendum bill finally sees the light
    Whether borned before or after 1,1956 they must vote in the South

    Atem Garang must check his statement!

    Reply
  • Gatluak Latjor
    Gatluak Latjor

    Sudan referendum bill finally sees the light
    What a nice para-(look below). Arabs who may spoil the whole process are filtered out! Ahaaaaaaa SPLM Oyeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! Yab!

    “Under the law, south Sudanese living outside the south and born before January 1, 1956, the date of Sudan’s independence, must vote in the south”. “But south Sudanese living outside the south and born after January 1, 1956 would be able to vote in their place of residence, whether in the north or abroad”.

    Reply
  • Daniel Juol Nhomngek Geech
    Daniel Juol Nhomngek Geech

    Sudan referendum bill finally sees the light
    IF SOUTHERNERS MISS THIS GOD-GIVEN OPPORTUNITY, THEN THEY WOULD BE SLAVES FOREVER.
    Self-determination is a God ordained central idea. No man will ever stay without searching his root. All over the world, the people are allied towards the side where there are freedom and identification. In 1776, Americans got their independence after thirteen American colonies rebelled against their colonial master, the Britain, under George III.This happened with the support from French Army under King Louis XVI. The American revolution and independence of 1776, on 4 July, set a unprecedented rate of revolutions across Europe.

    The revolutions came about because those French soldiers who participated in the American war of independence came back home with the revolutionary ideas, only to find the French society bogged down in problems like the ones that they had helped the American soldiers to fight against under the British rule. Seeing such a pathetic state of the affairs in France, the soldiers threw their support behind the peasants and Bourgeois or Middle class, which pull the war towards the spot of success. The success of this revolution of 1789 inspired other suffering groups in Europe under tyrannical kings and put the whole Europe in a vicious cycle of revolutions for more than fifty years.

    Those revolutions did not end there, instead they had continued as the quest by man for freedom grew worldwide. It came into fore in Latin America, Asia, Middle East and Africa nineteenth century. However, I would like to concentrate on one country in the Middle East, the Israel. Israelis, although they had land like ours they suffered a lot. During the Second World War, about six million Jews were exterminated under Adolf Hilter, the Nazis Leader who planned to remove them from the face of the earth with his friend, Benito Mussolini.

    However, as it is said that determination is the father of success, they determined and by 1948, the state of Israel was established and within no time, they became the strongest nation in the Middle East beating all Arab countries who collectively came to destroy them in 1948-1949 and 1967 wars respectively. They defeated Sudan, Egypt, Yemen, Iran, Syria, Saudi Arabia plus many other Arab nations hands up.Many of these countries surrendered and signed treaty with Israel. It should be noted that the Israelite defeated these nations because of unity that existed among themselves.

    Southern Sudanese should emulate the example of Israel so that by 2011 on 12 January, the Democratic Republic of the people of Southern Sudan is declared as independence and sovereign state under the black President from the south. If the southerners are not serious in taking this God-given opportunity, then they will remain slave forever and, who wants to remain in slavery?

    Daniel Juol Nhomngek Geech.

    Reply
  • Gatloth Gai
    Gatloth Gai

    Sudan referendum bill finally sees the light
    Yes very good point have been reached.

    CONGRATULATIOION TO MARGELISED PEOPLE AND SOUTHERNERS IN PARTICULAR FOR ACHIEVED THIER GOAL.

    Thisis what we expected,self determination leave no complaints after ths very event due in 2011.

    It is me as southern,to say sudan will remain unit or not depend on my experiences i went through in Sudan 50 years from inpendent.

    Reply
  • man of sudan
    man of sudan

    Sudan referendum bill finally sees the light
    that’s great work to all leaders in Southern Sudan.keep yr head up.

    Reply
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