At an International donor conference for Darfur on the weekend, organisers in Cairo, Egypt fell far short of the $2 billion they'd hoped to raise, due to concerns over Sudan's security situation ahead of April's elections. Read more at Deutsche Welle (DW-WORLD.DE) Tuesday, 23 March 2010: Sudan instability hampering international aid to Darfur.
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April elections as scheduled
THE National Elections Commission (NEC) has repeated its commitment to conduct the April elections as scheduled.
Also, the NEC has extended the period for receiving applications from local and international observers who would wish to participate in the April elections.
However, the leader of the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM), Mini Arkou Minnawi, says that the postponement of the April general elections, will pave the way for the conduct of free and fair elections in Sudan.
Note that the SLM is not registered as a party to participate in April’s elections. Reportedly, Mr Minnawi claims his party is being intentionally excluded from participating in the elections.
Full story here below.
NEC Still Committed To April Elections
From SRS - Sudan Radio Service, Tuesday, 23 March 2010:
(Khartoum) – The National Elections Commission has repeated its commitment to conduct the April elections as scheduled.- - -
The NEC met on Monday in Khartoum to analyze a report by the Carter Center last week requesting NEC to delay the elections. The deputy chairman of the commission, Prof. Abdallah Ahmed Abdallah, addressed the press after the meeting.
[Prof. Abdallah Ahmed Abdallah]: “The report by the Carter Center stirred up the media. However, we would like to inform you that the report is not from NEC. The NEC has gone through the details. We saw a need to study the report in detail and that’s why we formed a committee to look into the report. And the conclusion is the elections will be conducted as scheduled, God willing, on the 11th 12th and 13th of April.”
Aside from a newly-deployed European Union mission, the Carter Center is the only international elections observation mission in Sudan.
Election Monitor Deadline Extended
From SRS - Sudan Radio Service, Tuesday, 23 March 2010:
(Khartoum) – The National Elections Commission has extended the period for receiving applications from local and international observers who would wish to participate in the April elections.- - -
An NEC expert on elections, Mohamed Abdul-Daiem, told the press in Khartoum on Monday that they have received hundreds of applications from NGOs willing to observe the conduct of elections in Sudan.
[Mohamed Abdul-Daiem]: “After we had declared the 21st March as the final date for accepting applications for institutions wanting to observe the elections, we continued to receive applications and we realized that many civil society organizations are still carrying out trainings. And so, in appreciation of their efforts, we decided to include them in the observation process and we extended the initial date until 30 March. This will enable these organizations to participate in the first democratic exercise in Sudan. This morning, we received 8192 applications from local observers all over the country. We are now examining these applications and we will then issue them with identity cards.”
Mohamed Abdul-Daiem was speaking to the press in Khartoum on Monday.
Minnawi Calls For Delay in Elections
From SRS - Sudan Radio Service, Tuesday, 23 March 2010:
(Khartoum) – The leader of the Sudan Liberation Movement says that the postponement of the April general elections, will pave the way for the conduct of free and fair elections in Sudan.- - -
Mini Arkou Minnawi, who is the senior presidential assistant, spoke to SRS from Khartoum on Tuesday.
[Mini Minnawi]: “The voices that are calling for postponement of the elections are right. Although the NCP do not accept the idea, it would have a positive impact on the security situation in Sudan. It would also impact on whether the elections will be free and fair. So we should consider all these issues, then move together towards finding the solution. But personally, I’m not part of these elections.”
Minnawi’s movement is not registered as a party to participate in April’s elections.
Minnawi claims that the NCP and the intentionally excluded his party from participating in the elections.
[Mini Minnawi]: “Our brothers in the NCP and the NEC have colluded to exclude us from these elections. But we will talk about that after the elections, because it is premature to talk about the result of the elections before we discuss the conduct of the elections.”
That was the leader of SLM, Mini Arkou Minnawi speaking to SRS from Khartoum.
More news from SRS
hello there Sudan watch, i have been reading you blog for a while and it is great. about this post i was shock the hear that Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM), Mini Arkou Minnawi, says that the postponement of the April general elections, will pave the way for the conduct of free and fair elections in Sudan. i mean thanks God that he is talking, he has been absent from the elections debate for a while. i sure think that it is a good start for him to participate in the debate at least saying that if this election is delay it would be a good idea for the Sudan as a whole. at least this point helps other opposition party that want this election delayed.
ReplyDeletethanks for the post.