KHARTOUM – In a major move to end a simmering crisis that threatened to torpedo their peace deal, Sudan’s political rivals announced Sunday, December 13, an agreement on terms of a referendum on the independence of the south. "With this agreement, we announce the end of the crisis between the two partners," Pagan Amum, Secretary-General of Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM), told a press conference, reported Reuters.
He said the agreement sets the terms of the 2011 referendum on the independence of south Sudan.
"We have reached agreement on three very important laws which have been the grounds for serious disagreements between the two parties."
He said SPLM and the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) agreed on the proportion of votes and the turnout needed for the referendum to be binding.
The SPLM had wanted the referendum result to be determined by a 50+1 majority, while the NCP sought a two-thirds majority.
Amum said the laws also cover a separate ballot on whether the oil-rich region of Abyei should join the south, and vaguer consultation exercises for the populations of the border regions of Blue Nile and Southern Kordofan.
Details of the agreement will be announced after consultations with all political forces in Sudan.
The agreement crowned four days of intensive talks between the SPLM and NCP to gulf their differences.
Relations between the SPLM and NCP has been rocky in recent months.
SPLM has accused the NCP of procrastinating to meet their obligations under the 2005 peace deal.
SPLM has boycotted parliament to pressure the ruling party to submit a schedule for a series of bills that would reform the powerful intelligence services.
The tension escalated Monday after Sudanese police detained three senior opposition figures -- including Amum -- and dozens of demonstrators from the south's ruling party in a crackdown against a planned protest.
Southern protesters had responded by torching the NCP office in the southern city of Wau.
Referendum
The ruling NCP also confirmed the deal between the two rivals.
"We announce an agreement between the two partners on all points, which had been a source of disagreement on the referendum law in south Sudan," said NCP deputy head Nafie Ali Nafie.
He said the two parties also agreed to "look into the national security and intelligence law in order to reach an agreement", declining to elaborate.
Amum said the two sides also agreed to form a committee to discuss remaining issues, including arrangements for the 2010 national elections.
The 2010 election will be the first in Sudan since 1986, three years before President Omar Al-Beshir toppled a democratically elected government in a bloodless military coup, and the fifth since independence in 1956.
Registration for the polls began on November 1 and was to have run until the end of last month but extended until December 7 after a request from SPLM and opposition parties.
Southern Sudanese will vote in a referendum in 2011 on whether to secede from the Muslim north.
The referendum is part of the 2005 north-south peace deal, which ended a two-decade civil war between the north and south.
The accord established an interim period, with a coalition government between the Muslim north and mostly Christian south and the sharing of oil wealth.
Source: IslamOnline
He said the agreement sets the terms of the 2011 referendum on the independence of south Sudan.
"We have reached agreement on three very important laws which have been the grounds for serious disagreements between the two parties."
He said SPLM and the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) agreed on the proportion of votes and the turnout needed for the referendum to be binding.
The SPLM had wanted the referendum result to be determined by a 50+1 majority, while the NCP sought a two-thirds majority.
Amum said the laws also cover a separate ballot on whether the oil-rich region of Abyei should join the south, and vaguer consultation exercises for the populations of the border regions of Blue Nile and Southern Kordofan.
Details of the agreement will be announced after consultations with all political forces in Sudan.
The agreement crowned four days of intensive talks between the SPLM and NCP to gulf their differences.
Relations between the SPLM and NCP has been rocky in recent months.
SPLM has accused the NCP of procrastinating to meet their obligations under the 2005 peace deal.
SPLM has boycotted parliament to pressure the ruling party to submit a schedule for a series of bills that would reform the powerful intelligence services.
The tension escalated Monday after Sudanese police detained three senior opposition figures -- including Amum -- and dozens of demonstrators from the south's ruling party in a crackdown against a planned protest.
Southern protesters had responded by torching the NCP office in the southern city of Wau.
Referendum
The ruling NCP also confirmed the deal between the two rivals.
"We announce an agreement between the two partners on all points, which had been a source of disagreement on the referendum law in south Sudan," said NCP deputy head Nafie Ali Nafie.
He said the two parties also agreed to "look into the national security and intelligence law in order to reach an agreement", declining to elaborate.
Amum said the two sides also agreed to form a committee to discuss remaining issues, including arrangements for the 2010 national elections.
The 2010 election will be the first in Sudan since 1986, three years before President Omar Al-Beshir toppled a democratically elected government in a bloodless military coup, and the fifth since independence in 1956.
Registration for the polls began on November 1 and was to have run until the end of last month but extended until December 7 after a request from SPLM and opposition parties.
Southern Sudanese will vote in a referendum in 2011 on whether to secede from the Muslim north.
The referendum is part of the 2005 north-south peace deal, which ended a two-decade civil war between the north and south.
The accord established an interim period, with a coalition government between the Muslim north and mostly Christian south and the sharing of oil wealth.
Source: IslamOnline
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