SANU Expresses Election Doubts
(Juba) – The Sudan African National Union has expressed its concern that the forthcoming general elections will neither be free nor fair.
SANU chairman Dr. Toby Madut told SRS that the election process is too complicated, particularly as it will be conducted during the rainy season:
[Dr. Toby Madut]: “We are going to be voting in the rainy season and we think this is not the right time of year for elections. Secondly, we feel that the way voting is done, the way a voter has to vote 12 times, is really inconvenient and not only inconvenient but our people will not be able to vote properly. Most of the people are illiterate and don’t understand all these procedures and if we go ahead with this type of voting then many people will not vote properly - or at all.”
He added that the elections will also not be free and fair if the government does not provide funding for political parties to enable them to explain their policies.
Madut also feels that the elections should take place at different times and not all together:
[Toby Madut]: “There should be several phases of elections. In the first phase, people should only vote to elect the President of the Republic and the President of the Government of Southern Sudan and the Governors. Then, after a year, people can vote for the constituencies, the women’s lists and the party lists.”
SANU is currently selecting its candidates to stand in the forthcoming elections scheduled for April 2010.
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