Global General

Carter says South Sudan vote orderly, without violence

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2011-01-15 20:02
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KHARTOUM - Former US President Jimmy Carter said Saturday that the voting process in south Sudan referendum, which entered its final day on Saturday, was very organized and with no violent incidents.

Carter says South Sudan vote orderly, without violence
Referendum observer and former US President Jimmy Carter speaks during an interview in Khartoum January 15, 2011. Carter said there were a few reports from centres in southern Sudan in which 100 percent of the votes had been counted and results remained "practically unanimous in favour of separation with only a few small ballots to the contrary." [Photo/Agencies] 

Carter, whose center is participating in monitoring the south Sudan referendum, said at a press conference in Khartoum on Saturday that the process in both north and south Sudan was orderly and has not been affected by violence.

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He expressed his confidence that north Sudan government would directly recognize the result of the referendum, which is largely believed would come out with the separation of the south.

Carter further expressed his confidence that peace between north and south Sudan would be sustained after the referendum, saying that Sudan's ruling National Congress Party (NCP) in the north was very strong and "very committed" to sustain the peace.

He said there were indicators for stability between north and south Sudan after the declaration of the referendum result, adding that there were still some factors that could spark tension between the two sides including the dispute over the country's oil-rich area of Abyei and the post referendum issues.

Carter, in the meantime, said Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir has taken a courageous decision on conduction of the referendum under difficult circumstances.

He urged the international community to provide urgent assistance for both north and south Sudan and find solution for Sudan's external debts.

The South Sudan referendum's polling process entered its seventh day on Saturday, meanwhile, South Sudan Referendum Commission (SSRC) excluded any trend to extend the polling period which started on January 9.

Polling centers in all parts of Sudan and eight overseas countries are expected to close their doors on Saturday at local time 6:00 pm (1500 GMT). Meanwhile, the SSRC earlier affirmed that the voting rate has surpassed 60 percent, which is required for the referendum to be legal and for its result to be accepted.

The total number of the registered eligible southern Sudanese voters amounted to 3,930,916, of them 3,753,815 in south Sudan, 116,860 in north Sudan and 60,241 in eight overseas countries including Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Australia, the United States, Britain and Canada.

The polling centers in north and south Sudan together with eight overseas countries amounted to 3,000 with three SSRC officers in each to supervise the voting process.

Around 17,000 local observers together with 1,200 foreign observers are monitoring the south Sudan referendum which is the major item in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), inked in January 2005 between north and south Sudan, which ended a two-decade civil war between the two sides.