Over 325,150 people have registered in eastern Equatoria state up to last Friday to vote in the referendum for self-determination.
Governor Louis Lobong Lojore disclosed the figure to the speaker of Southern Sudan Legislative Assembly while addressing MPs from both the State and South Sudan assemblies.Mr. Lobong said that the registration data could not be gathered from all the referendum centres in the state due to communications problems.
He added that the state targeted between 350 and 400 thousand registrations.
The governor mentioned that the registration programme faced numerous challenges in the state, including long distances between villages and referendum centres and lack of civic education in rural communities.
Mr. Lobong added that the movement of the pastoralists with their animals in search of water and pastures, campaigning of anti-referendum elements, registration of foreigners and voter cards trade were also among difficulties.
Mr. Lobong stressed that all the stakeholders participated in the mobilization of the citizens for registration, including community based organizations, civil society organizations, faith based groups, political parties and the two arms of the government.