By staff writer
It was as hectic as it was exciting. After spending sleepless nights waiting for the big day, thousands of Southern Sudanese finally lived their dream when they lined up at polling booths to decide the destiny of their country. The first two days were dramatic and tiring but, exciting all the same. Every registered voter – the young and the elderly braved the scorching sun to cast their votes. It was as if the exercise that went on for a week , was ending on the second day. Even those with disabilities were not left behind in the crucial referendum vote that has now given South Sudan an autonomous status from the North.
The actual voting started on January 9, 2011 at 8.00 am and by the time it ended on January 15, 2011 at 5 pm, local time, South Sudan would never be the same again. The smile and anxiety on the people’s faces said it all as they counted the days until the results. It was like an expectant woman in labour, wondering when the baby will come.
When the results were finally announced, it was song and dance. As expected, 99.9 per cent of the voters had supported the separation from the North. Africa’s youngest nation had been born.
During the largely peaceful referendum, the people of Southern Sudan were to choose between remaining part of the larger Sudan and being ruled from the North or seceding. To most Southerners, a secession would mean freedom, justice, democracy and equal economic development which they have missed for the past 50 years.
It was a recap of a long struggle during which many young men lost their lives during the protracted civil wars. Thousands were displaced. This explains why no one wanted to be left behind during the voting. To many Southerners, it is a dream come true. A tour of some of the polling stations captured voices of hope, with some of the voters too overwhelmed with emotions to talk.
Holding aloft his voters card, a voter at Bakheita/Kator polling centre, Mr Toto Kot said: “The people of South Sudan have been anxiously waiting for January 9. It has been a long wait. The high turnout of voters from different ethnic groups showed that the people have forgotten their petty differences for the sake of liberation. They want human dignity and liberation.”
Another voter, Mr Francis Sebit who voted at Juba University said he had never been that happy in his life. But he lamented that the Electoral and registration officials (SSRC) officials were not doing a good job.
“The SSRC is doing badly by failing to address the plights of the referendum officials. Even if the SSRB had received over SDGS 50 million to facilitate referendum process in the States, it was still unable to pay dues owed to the referendum officials,” said Sebit. An election observer from Syha, a local Non-Governmental Organisation, Mogga Mark James said, he was shocked by the high turnout.
“There was a very high turn out on the first two days. Many people expressed their happiness with the arrrangements. Even those people who had lost their voters cards were later helped to vote,” he said. But it was Wilma Sereno who captured the mood of the referendum. “I came to cast my vote to help liberate Southerners from the social, economic and religious yokes of the North. It has been a painful journey. After the referendum we will now be able to build schools, factories and roads.”
Another resident, Mr Rafael Ladu vented his anger on a section of the media. “It is not true as some Arabic newspapers wrongly predicted that South Sudan will be rocked by chaos after the referendum. The people of Southern Sudan have proved them wrong. We are a united people because we are pursuing only one goal–a New Southern Sudan.”
