Khartoum: Sudan`s ruling party is
ready to accept southern independence if voters decide to
divide the country as expected, a senior northern official
said on Friday.
The comments by Ibrahim Ghandour - which came a day
before the end of a weeklong referendum on the issue - raised
hopes that the central government won`t contest the results
that are likely to split Africa`s largest nation in two,
stripping the north of the majority of its oil fields.
Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir has sought to play
down fears of potential violence in recent weeks, saying the
north will accept a vote for secession, provided the voting is
fair.
Ghandour, from the ruling National Congress Party,
said the voting has been going "in a very smooth and
acceptable way." He said it is easy to assume that the south
is going to secede.
"We in NCP will accept the result of the referendum
and we look forward for brotherly relations with the newly
born state," he said.
He said al-Bashir and Southern Sudan President Salva
Kiir, who is also al-Bashir`s vice president, are expected to
meet in Khartoum in the coming days to discuss unresolved
post-independence issues, including the flashpoint area of
Abyei.
PTI
