October 16, 2010 (JUBA) – A conference in Juba of Southern
Sudan’s political parties has resolved to form a new transitional
government in the region after the result of Januray’s referendum on
independence is announced.
Analysts
believe that the south will vote to secede from the north in the
poll, which was agreed as part of a 2005 peace deal between former
southern rebels the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), and
Sudan’s ruling National Congress Party (NCP).
The conference on the upcoming referendum and post-referendum era
was called for by the President of the Government of Southern Sudan
(GoSS) and Chairman of the SPLM Salva Kiir Mayardit. Organized by
GoSS, the meeting aims to reach a consensus on the referendum and
the future of the south.
Chaired by the south Sudan’s Vice President, Riek Machar Teny,
the five-day conference has been attended by the leaders of 25
political parties in southern Sudan and southern political leaders
who are members in northern political parties.
Delegates have conducted intensive discussions on the future of
the south since the
conference was opened by Kiir on Wednesday.
Senior SPLM officials including the two other deputies, James
Wani Igga and Malik Agar as well as the party’s Secretary General,
Pagan Amum, participated in the dialogue.
Sources close to the conference told Sudan Tribune that a
consensus has been reached by all the political parties, including
the ruling SPLM, to form a new transitional government inclusive of
all the political parties soon after the declaration of the
referendum results.
The transitional government of national unity in the South would
then fix a date for fresh elections, the source said. It will also
conduct a fresh credible population census in the region as well as
review the Southern Sudan interim constitution and draft a new
permanent constitution, they went on.
As result of last April elections, the ruling party in southern
Sudan, SPLM, controls the Southern Sudan Legislative Assembly and
nine regional assemblies in the other states expect Western
Equatoria.
Southern Sudan opposition parties contested the result and
accused the SPLM of intimidating their supporters and manipulating
the results of the polls.
Sources at the conference say that all parties present including
the NCP leaders, have agreed to timely, free, fair and transparent
conduct of the referendum on January 9, 2011.
The final resolutions of the conference are expected to be read
out on Sunday in the presence of President Kiir during the official
closure of the event.
(ST)