Sudan to hold anticipated election – report

May 27, 2006 (KHARTOUM) — An initial agreement to hold general anticipated elections earlier than stated in the peace agreement has been reached between the ruling partners the National Congress (NC) and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement SPLM.

According to the initial provision in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, elections were to be held in January 2007 ahead of the time determined in the power sharing protocol which stipulated that elections would be held no later than the end of the fourth year of the interim period, al-Khartoum daily reported.

The elections will include the nomination of state governors, members of parliament, the legislative council for the south and legislative councils for all Sudan’s states, as well as the presidential elections, including the president of the government of the south.

The electoral operation is supposed to be preceded by the formation of the national elections commission. The agreement would be presented at the joint meeting between the NC’s leadership office and the SPLM’s political bureau, al-Khartoum said.

Earlier this year Sudanese president declared that the National Congress party is ready to run an anticipated election but the First Vice-President rejected the proposal saying the fixed date in the peace deal must be respected.

(ST)