Sudan Reaches Magic Number in Voter Turnout for Independence
Big turnout on third day of Sudanese independence referendum
JUBA, Sudan Jan. 12, 2011 -- Officials from South Sudan said today that voter turnout for the proposed-nation's independence referendum has passed the 60 percent threshold in just three days of voting.
"The mark that would make the referendum be considered valid is passed," Dr. Anne Itto, the Secretary General for the South Sudan's ruling party, told reporters.
She did not give exact turnout numbers, but said the assessment was based on polling figures and results gathered in the 10 states of Southern Sudan by the Sudan People's Liberation Movement, known as the SPLM.
The referendum is part of the 2005 peace agreement which ended a 20-year civil war between the Islamic north and the predominantly Christian and animist south Sudan.
In order for the referendum to be valid at least 60 percent of the nearly 4 million registered South Sudanese voters must participate. International election observers, including former president Jimmy Carter and actor George Clooney have been monitoring the voting and report that thus far there have been no irregularities with the poll.
Voting will last until Jan. 15 and the results could be announced as soon as Feb. 6 and as late as February 15, according to the SPLM.
The government of Sudan in Khartoum must accept the poll and the results in order for the referendum to be considered valid. For months, officials of Sudan's ruling party allied with President Omar Al-Bashir, threatened not to accept the referendum results. In recent weeks President Al-Bashir has publicly declared that if Southern Sudan wants to leave, the government will support its independence.
Clooney told ABC News when he visited the country three months ago, the referendum happening at all still seemed very much in jeopardy.
"No one thought that they were going to pull this referendum off by Jan. 9, not anybody," he said. " Most of the people even in the government here, certainly most of the people in the U.N., at the Security Council who were here when I was here a hundred days ago, and every one to a man said this would be delayed. "
