South Sudanese get voting lessons

South Sudanese get voting lessons

Less than a week to go and, in most places parties would be busy campaigning and incoming governments would be busy courting their people to keep them in office.

But here in southern Sudan, the government is busy teaching people how to vote.

And its no easy task. About two-thirds of the population is illiterate - a rate that goes up to 90 per cent among women.
 
The matter is even more complicated by the fact that southerners will be asked to deal with 12 ballots - yes 12. They have to vote for two presidents: one for Sudan and one for Southern Sudan. Then they have to choose state governors, regional councilors and legislators.
 
Enormous amounts of money have been poured into voter-education programmes and the electoral commission has come up with a unique system based on colours: green, blue, purple, yellow, each colour designating a vote.
 
It relies on the civil society, volunteers and aid organisations. Thousands scour the villages teaching people which finger to dip into the ink, how to tick the ballot, what do the colours mean etc.
 
The task is even more difficult if you consider that Southern Sudan is said to be size of France and Belgium combined and there is less than 3,000km of paved roads.