UN has no monitoring role in Sudan’s elections – envoy

March 28, 2010 (KHARTOUM) — The United Nation Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) stressed today that it has no monitoring role during the upcoming elections in the country but added it could bring any discrepancy to the two peace partners.

The newly appointed head of UNMIS, which facilitates the implementation of the CPA signed in January 2005, held today his first press conference since his arrival to Khartoum where he dealt mainly with issues related to the next month elections.

The Eritrean diplomat, Haile Menkerios, pointed out that the Mission supports and ushers the implementation of the CPA provisions including the electoral process which part and parcel of the deal aiming to achieve democratic transition in the country.

Menkerios underlined that the Mission can support the independent observers and “provide them logistical assistance” but added UNMIS will not be involved directly in the monitoring process. However he said as the parties are committed, in accordance to the 2005 accord, to hold fair and free elections, the UN body has brought “any discrepancy that we see by ourselves” to the CPA signatories and to the National Election Commission.

“We have continued to advise, to encourage and to assist that measures be taken to ensure that a conducive atmosphere for free and fair elections exists and continues to do so,” he said.

As the UNMIS was accused recently of giving the green light to the printing of election ballots inside Sudan, the head of mission emphasized today on the consultative role they are playing in the implementation of the different aspects of the peace agreement that ended more than two decades of war in southern Sudan.

Speaking about the position of the UN chief Ban Ki-Moon who recently expressed surprise on the calls to postpone Sudanese elections, Menkerios said what Ban “expressed is the issues raised by the opposition to make this process free and fair need to be addressed in a way that does not create an obstacle to the implementation of the CPA”.

Sudanese opposition and Darfur rebel urge to delay the election saying there is a need to end Darfur conflict and undertake reforms in a number of laws primarily relating national security and media. They also accuse the the NEC of bias in favor of the ruling NCP.

However, the election is seen also in the CPA as timeframe before to hold the referendum on self determination for southern Sudan and Abyei.
Sudanese presidency is expected to discuss on Tuesday a memorandum by the opposition forces calling to postpone April election till next November.

(ST)