WASHINGTON, Sept. 22 (UPI) -- There is an "enormous" amount of work left to be done in order for Sudan to have a referendum on dividing the country, a trilateral statement declared.
South Sudan is working on steps needed for a January referendum on self-determination. The measure is part of a peace agreement brokered by U.S. President George W. Bush in 2005.
A trilateral statement from the United States, Norway and Great Britain said Sudanese officials need to act quickly on the referendum process.
"There remains an enormous amount to be done and work must be accelerated to make up for lost time," the statement stressed.
The statement continues by calling on authorities to finalize an operational plan and a budget for the vote, agree on voter-registration criteria and gather qualified election workers "among other things."
The process is well behind schedule according to some accounts. U.S. President Barack Obama is to meet with Sudanese officials on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly meeting in order to push the referendum process forward.
The referendum is scheduled for Jan. 10.
