Friday, April 02, 2010

Sudanese govt has given Darfur rebels until 5 April to sign final peace agreement

US Envoy Holds Crisis Meetings in Khartoum to Keep Elections on Schedule
From SRS - Sudan Radio Service, Friday, 02 April 2010:
2 April 2010 (Khartoum) - The US Special Envoy to Sudan, Scott Gration, has held a second day of emergency meetings in Khartoum with officials from the NCP, the SPLM and other major political parties.

The meetings are an attempt to prevent the collapse of the elections after a coalition of opposition parties announced they are to boycott the polls.

Most of the major parties have withdrawn from the presidential elections and some groups have also pulled out of the parliamentary and municipal polls.

Several key parties in the north are also considering a total boycott.

Addressing a press conference after his meeting with Gration in Khartoum on Thursday, the advisor to the president, Dr. Ghazi Salah al-Din, said that the US administration is eager to see the elections proceed as scheduled.

[Dr. Ghazi Salah al-Din]:“The US administration emphasized their position about conducting the elections on schedule because it is one of the provisions in the CPA. Gration is here in Sudan to examine the situation and to listen to different views to ensure that the election is conducted on time, and how they can solve some of the issues raised by the opposition parties’ threat to boycott. That’s why Gration is in communication with various groups, to evaluate the situation and to help if necessary.”

Ghazi, who is also a member of the government delegation to the Darfur peace negotiations in Doha, reiterated his government’s commitment to finding a lasting peace in Darfur.

[Dr. Ghazi Salah al-Din]: “The government is committed to the peace process but of course after the elections there will be a new government and new polices. If we reach the final peace agreement before the elections, that will be a great achievement but if we don’t then we will leave it to the new government to see how they deal with the situation.”

The government has given the Darfur anti-government groups until 5 April to sign the final peace agreement.
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Umma party says if its terms are not met by Tuesday 6 April it will boycott presidential, parliamentary and state polls

Sudan:- Umma opposition party gives Bashir ultimatum
From BBC News online, Friday, 02 April 2010 - extract:
Sadiq al-Mahdi

Photo: If Sadiq al-Mahdi's party boycotts the polls, the vote will be discredited

A key northern opposition party in Sudan has issued an ultimatum to President Omar al-Bashir to ensure free and fair elections this month. Ex-Prime Minister Sadiq al-Mahdi's Umma party says if its terms are not met by Tuesday it will boycott presidential, parliamentary and state polls. Its eight conditions include a delay of four weeks for a new body to supervise the election commission to be set up.

The Umma ultimatum came after Mr Mahdi had met with the US special envoy to Sudan, Scott Gration.
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