20110123
xinhua

The South Sudan Referendum Commission (SSRC) on Sunday said around 99 percent of southern Sudanese had voted for the region's separation from the north according to primary results of the South Sudan referendum.

"98.8 percent have voted for separation after sorting of about 98.8 percent of the ballots in the south and 100 percent of the ballots in the north and outside Sudan," George Makier, SSRC Spokesman, told Xinhua.

"There is a little remaining percentage in south Sudan and we are currently at the phase of entering data of some polling stations in the south; and we believe the process will not take long," he added.

Makier further stated that the primary results for the referendum in south Sudan would be announced on Jan. 30 while the overall primary results would be announced early February, saying that "if there were appeals, the final result of the referendum would be announced on February 14, and if not, it will be announced on February 7."

According to the figures announced by the SSRC, all voting boxes in north Sudan and abroad had been sorted, besides 98,9 percent of the boxes in south Sudan, or over 3,687,000 votes.

The voting rates for separation ranged between 96 percent and 99.5 percent in various southern Sudan states, while the highest rate for unity in north Sudan states reached 43 percent.

Ballots sorting and counting process started immediately after polling centers were closed on Jan. 15 amid expectations since then that the voting rate for separation would reach more than 98 percent.