UDF says determined to take part in the forthcoming elections

By Ngor Arol Garang

August 9, 2009 (KADUGLI) – The leader of a Southern based political party, on Sunday said his party is prepared and determined to take part in the upcoming Sudanese general elections though it denied registration for its support to Southern Sudan independence.

The party has already sent out political strategic campaign teams to the ten southern states to sell our plans to the southern populace, said the leader of United Democratic Front (UDF), Peter Abdel-Rahman Sule.

Speaking by phone from Juba, the leader went further to add that members of his party who went to greater Bahr El-Ghazal States have returned, adding that the visit of his campaign team to all four states of the region was successful and left resident campaigners and mobilization efforts in progress.

Asked whether he is aware of low turnout in the state of Northern Bahr El Ghazal to welcome members of his party during their visit, he said, “Yes, yes, I am aware, but the low turnout of the local population particularly party supporters there cannot be blamed on local party leaders because most of them were on farms busy planting crops.”

“We support farming as it is from the farm that our supporters generate cash to finance activities of their party in all the states,” he added.

Sule said that as UDF, we do not expect changes come from anywhere but peasants and pastoralists who constitutes most parts of Sudan.

Asked what other challenges the team experienced in the state of Northern Bahr el Ghazal, he said there were myriad of problems not challenges during their campaign.

In Aweil, it was low turnout of supporters because the visit of UDF team coincided with the planting period, he said.

However, “in Warrap security personnel ordered the party members to end their campaign.” He complained. He also pointed out logistical problems. Local authorities did not also cooperate with the team in assisting them with transport within the region, he said.

“There were rains which also affected movement of the team by vehicles to rural towns whenever they were provided with mobility,” he adds.

“These among others were the few things the team has experienced but cannot stop our determination from taking part in the upcoming elections,” he stressed.

The Political Parties Affairs Council accepted the registration of the United Democratic Front (UDF) on March 26, provided that it replaces the words “separation of South Sudan” in the party statute with “right of self-determination for southern Sudan,” according to the published text of the council’s decision

But the UDF says the word ‘separation’ is not in the party’s constitution, “what is in the constitution ‘is independence’ for the people of South Sudan.”

(ST)