"The referendum is so full of spirits. We praise the high enthusiasm of the Sudanese people, at least in the first day of the referendum," Indonesian ambassador to Sudan Dr. Sujatmiko said in Juba Sunday afternoon.
The ambassador was member of a team of observers representing the Indonesian government to observe and monitor the referendum held for a week until January 15, 2011.
Ambassador Sujatmiko noticed that there were three things, which made the people of Sudan so enthusiastic in using their voting rights.
Firstly, the high readiness of the South Sudan Referendum Commission, eliminating all presumptions that the referendum would fail.
Secondly, convincing statements from the leaders of Sudan both from their President Omar Al-Bashir as well as from the leaders of South Sudan.
He referred to a statement of President Bashir saying that the Sudanese government would accept whatever the result of the referendum, as a very important message praised by many circles.
Even UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon also hailed the encouraging and convincing statement of the Sudanese head of state.
President Bashir`s statement was warmly and enthusiastically welcomed and hailed by the South Sudanese leader Salva Kiir Mayardit.
"We are also ready to accept the outcome of the people`s referendum," said Kiir, former South Sudan guerrilla leader, in responding to statement of Bashir when visiting Juba several days before the referendum.
Thirdly, the commitment of the people of South Sudan not to returning to the bloody conflict in the civil war of two decades since 1983.
A similar encouraging statement was also expressed by head of the the political section of the Indonesian embassy in Khartoum. "Although the referendum had been prepared in a relatively short time, but implementation was very good," he said.
Sujatmiko and the Indonesian observer team were assisted by head of the political section of the Indonesian embassy in Sudan, Mulyadi, and staff of the Indonesian embassy in Sudan, Suaib Tahir.
Besides in Juba -- city where the referendum is held -- the Indonesian observer team also monitored the implementation of the referendum for the people of South Sudan in the capital Khartoum. (*)
Editor: Kunto Wibisono
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
