VZCZCXRO9428
PP RUEHROV
DE RUEHKH #0291 0590709
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 280709Z FEB 08
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0059
INFO RUCNIAD/IGAD COLLECTIVE

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