US Considers Options
For Secession Vote In South Sudan
The
United States has expressed concern over next month's
Presidential Election in Sudan , which it says should set the
stage for a civil divorce and not a civil war.
Obama administration's special envoy, Scott Gration, who said
this, acknowledged problems with preparations for the April
vote.
Gration said there was need that the election occurs on time to
ensure that democratic structures are put in place to deal with
the looming issue of the status of southern Sudan , which will
be decided by a referendum next January.
Secession
He said the United States was prepared for any eventual
secession vote and was working to resolve contentious issues in
hopes of avoiding a reprise of the two-decade civil war that
ended five years ago.
Gration said next month's elections, even if flawed, would mark
a step toward establishing a democratic framework for voters,
electoral authorities and monitors.
Election Fraud
Accusations of fraud have mounted before the vote, Sudan 's
first multiparty election in more than two decades, and many
opposition parties have called for a delay, saying more
democratic reforms are needed.
Gration, named U.S. special envoy for Sudan last year, has
sought to ease tensions that threaten the fragile 2005 peace
deal between Khartoum and the semi-autonomous south.
That agreement called for both the elections and the referendum
on secession for southern Sudan , which many analysts say could
trigger new conflict.
REUTERS/Williams
