Jesuit Praises Elections in Sudan
Jesuit Father Richard O’Dwyer, who is Project Director for Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) in Lobone, praised the recent elections in Sudan, saying that “many other African nations would do well to emulate Southern Sudan in terms of its electoral standards.”
According to sources reported by Voice of America, more than 90 percent of Southern Sudanese have voted in favor of independence.
“I returned to Lobone the second week of January. There was not a hint of panic or complaint to be found. People here were voting as if it was second nature and a lifelong habit,” said Fr. O’Dwyer.
“When one realizes that Southern Sudan is one of the poorest and least developed places in the world, I feel a great deal of admiration for the manner in which both registration for and the referendum itself has been conducted,” he added.
O’Dwyer recognizes the need for good governance, significant investment in the region and training the people in trades and professions.
“To sit back complacently and expect oil revenue to simply develop the country, as if by the waving of a magic wand, would not only be disappointing, but a disastrous mistake,” he said. [JRS Dispatches]
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