SPLM HARD AT WORK ON THE REFERENDUM LAW

UNCLAS KHARTOUM 000291 SIPDIS DEPT FOR AF/SPG DEPT PLS PASS USAID FOR AFR/SUDAN ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM SU SUBJECT: SPLM HARD AT WORK ON THE REFERENDUM LAW REFS: A. Khartoum 288 B. Khartoum 283 SPLM Caucus Chairman Steps Down - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶1. (U) Manoah Aligo Donga, National Assembly member and Chairman of the Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement (SPLM) Caucus in the North, told poloff on 25 February that he will step down from his Caucus Chairman position in April 2008. Having held the post for three years, Donga will remain in the National Assembly and will be succeeded as Caucus Chairman by his deputy, Samuel Deng. Bill on 2011 Referendum in the Works - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶2. (U) Donga explained that during the National Assembly recess, SPLM parliamentarians have been drawing up a draft bill governing the scheduled 2011 referendum on whether the South will remain in Sudan or will declare its independence. The draft bill speaks to voter eligibility, voting regulations, and the make-up of a referendum commission. Donga expects to share the draft, which is nearly complete, with Southern Sudanese political parties next week. He described the draft law as a "baby in the womb" of its mother - Southern Sudan. After Southern parties have seen the draft bill and reached consensus on it, the SPLM will take the draft to the press (before the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) has a chance to review it) so that civil society can comment. Donga said that the SPLM hopes to have a final draft to present to the National Constitutional Review Commission (NCRC) by April. The bill will have to be discussed and negotiated in the NCRC by the NCP, the SPLM, and other opposition parties before going to Parliament for approval. ¶3. (U) Regarding the issue of referendum voting, Donga said that the SPLM will encourage displaced Southerners in the North and refugees in neighboring countries to return to Southern Sudan for the referendum vote. Comment - - - - ¶4. (SBU) We are not surprised that the SPLM already is working on a draft referendum bill, given the referendum's importance to the South (ref a). Nor do we doubt that the NCP will hotly contest the SPLM's draft bill and that it will seek ways to stall the referendum process, perhaps by hijacking Southerner's ability to put referendum legislation in place. Given the worrisome impasse on the draft electoral bill (ref b),disagreement and delay will likely be even worse on the referendum legislation. However, unlike the two parties' lack of concern about any potential delay in 2009 elections due to legislative disagreement, the SPLM will be unwilling to let the 2011 referendum be side-tracked. FERNANDEZ