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SUDAN / REFERENDA PANEL SSRC
STORY: SUDAN / REFERENDA PANEL SSRC
TRT: 2.46
SOURCE: UNMIS
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / ARABIC / NATS
DATELINE: 14 OCTOBER 2010, KHARTOUM, SUDAN
1. Wide shot, President of Sudan Omar Al Bashir and head of referenda panel Benjamin Mkapa
2. Various shots, President Omar Al Bashir with panel members
3. Med shot, panel members and other officials walking away
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Benjamin Mkapa, Chairman, UN Secretary-General’s panel on the Referenda in the Sudan:
“I have had a very informative meeting with the President of the Republic. My team has had the opportunity to talk with officials of the government of National Unity as well as the government of Southern Sudan over a wide range of issues that will affect the process towards the implementation of the referendum – from the preparations of the referendum Commission and it’s bureau, to the availability of funding, the logistics and other procedures – but more importantly – the will to see that the spirit of the CPA (Comprehensive Peace Agreement) is realised at the end of the referendum process.”
6. Various shot, officials
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Benjamin Mkapa, Chairman, UN Secretary-General’s panel on the Referenda in the Sudan:
“There’s quite a bit of territory to cover before we can reach a situation where we can be certain that the process will produce a credible result. But the hurdles are not insurmountable, and I believe the leadership is both honourable, willing and very capable of guiding this process to a successful conclusion.”
6. Various shots, photo-op with Sudan President Omar Al Bashir
7. Various shots, exterior of southern Sudan Referendum Commission offices
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Jamal Ibrahim, Southern Sudan Referendum Commission Spokesperson:
“The campaign will start on 7th November, then after one week there will be voter registration. The media campaign is supposed to enlighten the people about their rights in the coming referenda. The registration will take place within a limited time for nearly three weeks or 17 days, 17 days and this will start on 14th November.”
9. Various shots, journalists
Members of the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General’s panel tasked with monitoring the upcoming referenda on self-determination in Sudan on Thursday met with Sudan’s President Omar al Bashir in Khartoum.
The three-member panel, which arrived Khartoum earlier in the week on Sunday (10th October) on their first visit to the country, had earlier met the leader of the Government of Southern Sudan Salva Kiir in Juba.
After the meeting with President Bashir, the panel’s chair Benjamin Mkapa, former President of Tanzania, told reporters that his team has been assured by both parties to the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) ending the north-south civil war that they wanted a successful conclusion to the process of referendum.
“I have had a very informative meeting with the President of the Republic. My team has had the opportunity to talk with officials of the government of National Unity as well as the government of Southern Sudan over a wide range of issues that will affect the process towards the implementation of the referendum – from the preparations of the referendum Commission and it’s bureau, to the availability of funding, the logistics and other procedures – but more importantly – the will to see that the spirit of the CPA (Comprehensive Peace Agreement) is realised at the end of the referendum process,” said Mkapa.
The panel’s visit concludes in Sudan on Friday with talks with donors, observer groups and Sudanese officials. Earlier this week they travelled to Juba to meet with senior officials from the Government of Southern Sudan, referendum officials, NGOs and representatives of the international community.
“There’s quite a bit of territory to cover before we can reach a situation where we can be certain that the process will produce a credible result. But the hurdles are not insurmountable, and I believe the leadership is both honourable, willing and very capable of guiding this process to a successful,” said Mkapa.
The panel is chaired by Benjamin Mkapa, former President of Tanzania. Its other members are António Monteiro, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Portugal, and Bhojraj Pokharel, former Chairman of the Election Commission of Nepal.
The panel will play a good offices role to strengthen confidence in the referenda process, which is Sudanese-led, and to encourage the parties and relevant authorities to resolve any significant problems or disputes as they emerge.
Two referenda are slated for 9 January 2011, one in which the people of Southern Sudan will vote for either unity or secession, and another in which the people of the Abyei Area will vote to remain in the north or become part of the south.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon formed the panel after a request from the parties to Sudan’s Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), who sought a UN monitoring body to help enhance the credibility of the referenda and therefore ensure the acceptance of their result by their constituencies and the international community.
The panel will make periodic visits to Sudan in the lead-up to and during the referenda and report back to the Secretary-General on their findings, and will be assisted by field staff across the country.
Meanwhile the Southern Sudan Referendum Commission (SSRC) in Khartoum announced that they would begin voter campaigns on November 7th 2010.
Speaking at their headquarters in Khartoum, Southern Sudan Referendum Commission Spokesperson Jamal Ibrahim said in accordance to the law, the campaigns would end 24 hours before the voting begins.
“The campaign will start on 7th November, then after one week there will be voter registration. The media campaign is supposed to enlighten the people about their rights in the coming referenda. The registration will take place within a limited time for nearly three weeks – or 17 days – 17 days - and this will start on 14th November,” said Jamal.
Jamal also said that there would be out of country voting and the Commission is in the process of preparing centres in eight countries which include the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Egypt, Ethiopia, Uganda and Kenya.
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