Bashir promises to hand over power peacefully if he loses reelection bid
February 13, 2010 (KHARTOUM) –The presidential nominee for the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) Omer Hassan Al-Bashir has pledged to step down “peacefully” should he lose in the elections scheduled for next April.
“No one forced these elections on us,” Bashir said. “We want fair elections, we want clean elections.”
“They [opposition] have announced that they are in alliance to win the elections and if they can convince people to vote for them, I will hand over the rule to them peacefully” he added.
In a lengthy speech, Bashir recounted the achievements since he took power through a military coup in 1989, particularly in services and development projects and peace agreements signed throughout the country.
He spoke of the devastated economy his government inherited at the time. Gasoline oil was rationed, the army had no weapons or ammunition, people could not find bread to eat and education was a luxury of the rich, he said.
“Today in every city there is a university or higher education institute. Today in every village in Sudan there is a university graduate,” Bashir said.
The elections are being held in accordance with the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) signed between the NCP and the Sudan People Liberation Movement (SPLM) which is the dominant party in the South.
This will be the first multiparty elections held in Sudan in almost quarter of a century when the Umma Party leader Al-Sadiq Al-Mahdi was a prime minister before being overthrown by Bashir. Al-Mahdi is running against Bashir in the prudential elections.
There are 14,535 candidates in total, including 12 candidates for the presidency and the rest to other levels of elections for the presidency of the Government of Southern Sudan (GoSS) and state governors and the national parliament and state assemblies.
Bashir’s stakes are high given the arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court (ICC) hanging over his head for alleged war crimes committed in Darfur. The warrant has restricted his ability to travel abroad particularly to countries that are signatories to the Rome Statute.
Hamad Al-Rayah, a Sudanese singer sang odes insulting the ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo whom Khartoum accuses of being pushed by Western countries to target Bashir.
This month the appeal chamber granted Ocampo’s appeal against Pre-Trial chamber which excluded the crime of genocide from Bashir’s arrest warrant.
“Where is the ethnic cleansing? Where is the genocide?” Bashir asked, adding he would make peace in Sudan’s west after seven years of rebellion with anyone who was willing to sign.
The Sudanese president reiterated his position that he would respect the choice Southern Sudanese would make in the 2011 referendum for self determination.
“If our brothers in the south…decide on independence, we will be their closest neighbors and…we will stand by their side,” Bashir said.
Most analysts except a landslide vote by Southern Sudanese in favor of independence given deep rooted mistrust after more than two decades of civil war with the mainly Arab and Muslim north.
(ST)
Dinka Boy
Bashir promises to hand over power peacefully if he loses reelection bid
Lie mr Omer Bashier.
You forget that SPLM force this election on you.
SPLM/A oyeeeee.
Oduko
Bashir promises to hand over power peacefully if he loses reelection bid
My vote’s goes to you Mr president cause you are the only brave man in our country no one but you sir.
AAMA
Bashir promises to hand over power peacefully if he loses reelection bid
Bashir’s problem is not that he or the NCP ability to run the country, their problem is that thought-out there time in power, they alienated themselves from most of the world. Even if the SPLM for example wanted to cooperate with them for achieving peace and stability, they will come under enormous pressure from the outside world to dump them.
Also, the separatist voices inside the NCP “never experienced in such a magnitude in the north before” are doing them no good either. However, the NCP has its ways to win the elections “the NCP has been preparing for these elections for a loooong time now”. All the government workers, business men, shop owners and everyone who has something to do with or needs the central government can be influenced in those election without the need to rig the election. Also, some people in the north fear for their security, and they feel that under the NCP inclusive system, they might be safer after all this mess.
Opposition parties right now relay on presenting the shear amount of mistakes the NCP did in Sudan since 89 and hope that the people realize these fact. The south problem changed from being a problem of demands to a problem of secession and the political pressure for the international community countered all the NCPs attempt to improve conditions in Sudan. Plus the unknown future between the north and south especially if there was separation.
Time1
Bashir promises to hand over power peacefully if he loses reelection bid
Omer bashir has made alot of good speeches lately, now he will have to walk the walk. As he pointed out we can only be good neighbours with the north, we can cooparate on business, trade, cultural and other other peaceful activities, we are ready to have a close relations with the north but they have to show that they are a sincere people who respect peoples rights and believe in freedom for all.
Lets work to make South Sudan and North Sudan, two new countries in Africa from 2011, two countries more stable, developed , democratic and good neighbours and united withint he African Union framework, let be an example to lead Africa.