20110102
Sudan Tribune

Juba — Jimmy Carter, the ex-American president and Koffi Annan, former UN Secretary General are due to lead the Cater Center's international observation delegation set for the 9 January self-determination referendum in southern Sudan.

Also included in the team to guide the delegation are Joseph Warioba, the former Tanzania Prime Minister and John Hardman, who doubles as the Carter Center president and its CEO.

The Carter Center, Sudan Tribune has verified, intends to deploy more than 100 observers to voting locations across Sudan and overseas to assess the referendum process and observe polling, counting, and tabulation.

"The referendum is a critical step in the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement," President Carter said in a 2 January 2011 communiqué.

"We hope this process will help the people of Sudan work for a peaceful future, regardless of the outcome," he added.

The Carter Center's observation mission will, among other things, provide an impartial assessment of the overall quality of the referendum process and demonstrate international interest in Sudan's referendum.

The high level delegation will, according the communiqué, also meet with key political leaders, referendum authorities, domestic and international observer groups, and members of the international and diplomatic community, among others.

The Carter Center remains optimistic that both the Sudan government and its southern counterparts will not only commit themselves to peaceful conduct of the process, but will willingly accept credible referendum results and respect the rights of all Sudanese citizens regardless of its outcomes.

"It is important for all political leaders to honor their commitments to sustainable peace in Sudan as set out in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement," Annan said in the communiqué.

A not-for-profit, nongovernmental organization, the Carter Center has helped to improve life for people in more than 70 countries by resolving conflicts; advancing democracy, human rights, and economic opportunity; preventing diseases; improving mental health care; and teaching farmers in developing nations to increase crop production.

Founded in 1982 by Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, in partnership with Emory University, to advance peace and health worldwide, the center has maintained an election mission in Sudan since 2008, and organized a long-term observation mission for Sudan's April 2010 general elections.

Additionally, the Carter Center is supporting non-partisan domestic observation in Sudan, including the training and deployment of 4,600 observers for the April general elections and an estimated 3,000 observers for the upcoming Southern Sudan referendum.

The Carter Center conducts observation activities in accordance with the Declaration of Principles of International Election Observation and Code of Conduct that was adopted at the UN in 2005 and endorsed by 35 election observation groups.