South Sudan to form transitional government

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)