SUDAN / WAU PRISON VOTE

Antonio Monteiro, member of the UN Panel tasked with monitoring the ongoing Southern Sudan Referendum, visits a central prison in Wau where more than 80 percent of the prisoners registered to vote voted during the first two days of the referendum. UNMIS

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:02:19
• Production Date: 11 January 2011
• Asset Language: Original
• Corporate Name: UNITED NATIONS ASSISTANCE MISSION IN SUDAN - UNMIS
• Subject Topical: REFERENDUM
• Geographic Subject: SUDAN
• MAMS Id: U110111c

Description

STORY: SUDAN / WAU PRISON VOTE
TRT: 2:19
SOURCE: UNMIS
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGES: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 10 JANUARY 2010, WAU, SUDAN

1. Wide shot, Wau Central Prison
2. Med shot, Wau Central Prison
3. Med Shot, prisoners inside Wau Central Prison
4. Wide shot, Inmates inside prison
5. Med shot, Prisoner with shackles on his leg
6. Close up, Shackles
7. Wide shot, Polling center, inside prison
8. Med shot, Ambassador Antonio Monteiro talking to referendum officials
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Antonio Monteiro, Member, UN Panel to monitor the referendum:
“We could see only 100 voters have not yet exercised their right to vote which shows that the rate is very high and this is in all the centers, for instance in Wau only yesterday, 35 percent of the registered voters have already voted. This means that, probably, the week will be a too long period for every body to come and exercise their right.”
11. Med shot, Ambassador Antonio Monteiro shaking hands with Brig. General Michael Archangelo, Director of Wau Central Prison
12. SOUNDBITE (English) Brig. General Michael Archangelo, Director, Wau Central Prison.
“Over 600 prisoners have registered for the referendum and over 500 something inmates have voted already now.”
13. Med shot, Prisoners
14 SOUNDBITE (English) Paul Charles, Prisoner:
“I am a prisoner now. But before I could be even a prisoner, I am a citizen in southern Sudan. This referendum, because our ancestors suffered a lot but the time has come for us all to be free from slavery and I am happy because of this referendum I will get my freedom from slavery.”
15. Med shot, prison police

Storyline

Ambassador Antonio Monteiro, one of the three imminent members of the United Nations (UN) Panel monitoring the ongoing Southern Sudan Referendum, is on a four day visit to the Greater Bahr el-Ghazal area.

In Wau town today (10 January), during the first leg of his trip to the Region, Ambassador Monteiro said he was witnessed the smooth and peaceful conduct of the referendum. Of the polling centers he visited, he was especially impressed by what he saw in the Wau Central Prison.

SOUNDBITE (English) Antonio Monteiro, Antonio Monteiro, Member, UN Panel to monitor the referendum:
“We have here a very special polling station, we are in a prison. We could see only 100 voters have not yet exercised their right to vote which shows that the rate is very high and this is in all the centers, for instance in Wau only yesterday, 35 percent of the registered voters have already voted. This means that, probably, the week will be a too long period for every body to come and exercise their right.”

Prisons are more often places for limiting the rights of citizens than for realizing full rights and freedoms. But, the ongoing referendum in Southern Sudan is offering this rare occasion for inmates in the different prisons of the south to enjoy their civic rights.

Six hundred forty nine inmates were registered to vote and well before the closing of the second day of voting, five hundred forty nine or 84.5 percent of them had voted. One of them, Paul Charles, is already three years into his five year prison term. He was jubilant about being able to exercise his right to decide on his future and the future of his people.

SOUNDBITE (English) Paul Charles, Prisoner:
“I am a prisoner now. But before I could be even a prisoner, I am a citizen in southern Sudan. This referendum because our ancestors suffered a lot but the time has come for us all to be free from slavery and I am happy because of this referendum I will get my freedom from slavery.”

Brig. General Michael Archangelo, the Director of Wau Central Prison, said the urn out of the inmates has surpassed the required minimum of 60 percent for warranting the validity of the referendum.

SOUNDBITE (English) Brig. General Michael Archangelo, Director, Wau Central Prison.
“Over 600 prisoners have registered for the referendum and over 500 something inmates have voted already now.”

Antonio Monteiro will continue his trip in the next four days to the Greater Bahr el-Ghazal area.