AU’s Mbeki panel optimistic on holding fair and free elections in Sudan
March 2, 2010 (PARIS) – Sudan has the ability hold fair and free elections despite emerging from decades of civil war, an African Union (AU) panel said this week.
“Holding free and fair elections after so many decades of division and destruction is a huge task. The columns of newspapers are filled with the writings of skeptics who say that it cannot be done” said the former Burundian president Pierre Buyoya who is a member of the AU High Level Implementation Panel (AUHIP) said in his opening remarks at the summit meeting of Political Parties in Southern Sudan.
“Those skeptics are wrong. It can be done. It was done in my country, Burundi. It was done in the country of the Chairman of our Panel, President Thabo Mbeki. It can be done here” he added.
The purpose of the summit was to primarily discuss the upcoming elections scheduled for April and adopting a code of conduct and a Declaration Common Commitment that governs the activities of the parties during the elections period and prevents any outbreak of violence or hostilities.
The SPLM and other parties contesting in South Sudan signed both documents following the conference held under the auspices of the AUHIP.
AUHIP was tasked with implementing all aspects of the AUPD recommendations and assist the Sudanese parties in the implementation of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) and other related processes, as part of the democratic transformation of Sudan.
“The parties undertake to ensure that the forthcoming elections are free, fair and inclusive,” the document read. “The democratic political process must be protected from any form of violence or intimidation.”
Buyoya said that the panel its report submitted to the AU last year “identified free, fair and inclusive elections as a necessary precondition for the resolution of the conflict in Darfur”.
“We recommended that everything possible should be done to ensure that Darfurians have the opportunity to vote in such an election. At the same time, we did not consider that elections alone would be a sufficient condition for resolving the Sudanese crisis in Darfur. There are still vital issues to be negotiated and agreed among the parties to the conflict” the panel member cautioned.
The Darfur rebel groups have instructed their members and IDP’s alike to boycott the census and voter registration process which throws into doubt whether Darfuris will have a significant level of participation in the first general elections held in the country since 1986.
The AU panel headed by former South African president Thabo Mbeki asserted that the Darfur conflict must be resolved prior to the elections though it is unlikely that this goal is a realistic one.
Last month, the Darfur Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) and the Sudanese government signed a framework agreement in Doha which includes power sharing clauses and a temporary ceasefire. Khartoum has said it hopes to conclude negotiations with JEM by March 15.
But the rebel group downplayed the deadline and further said it wants the elections delayed because most people in Darfur and Kordofan are displaced with no interest to take part in elections. JEM leader Khalil Ibrahim said that there needs to be time for peace to be realized and refugees can return home after which participation in elections can be evaluated.
Ibrahim warned that holding the general elections in April will exclude 4 million people making it meaningless for the Darfur population.
Sudanese opposition parties have complained about the credibility of the National Elections Committee (NEC) and restrictions imposed on political associations and gathering by the authorities. Furthermore, the parties contest that they are not treated fairly in comparison to the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) candidates.
The Sudan People Liberation Movement (SPLM) presidential candidate has boycotted a recording at the state media for what he described as bias and control by the NCP over coverage of their activities.
Today the opposition parties issued a joint statement announcing their withdrawal from the Joint Media Council for Elections saying they were not consulted in its formation and that it does not have fair representation.
The statement said that they have submitted their recommendations on the improving its work but were ignored by the NEC prompting their decision today.
Today Human Rights Watch (HRW) sent a letter to the European Union (EU) urging its electoral observes heading to Sudan to “look at entire human rights situation and how it is affecting the elections environment”.
In the letter, HRW described patterns of human rights abuses in the pre-elections period that researchers documented in November and December 2009.
The rights group said that during the voter registration period and afterward, security forces in northern Sudan violently suppressed peaceful demonstrations and restricted public rallies, political party gatherings, and other events.
“Authorities harassed, assaulted, and arbitrarily arrested political party observers and human rights activists, including Darfuri students who have spoken out about elections and other sensitive topics such as the role of international justice in Darfur. Southern Sudanese authorities were also responsible for human rights violations, arbitrarily arresting and detaining members of the northern ruling National Congress Party and political parties seen to be in alliance with it”.
HRW also stressed that ongoing armed clashes between government and rebel forces in Darfur, and increasing inter-ethnic violence in Southern Sudan, could impair freedom of movement for people to reach polling places.
In his speech, Buyoya highlighted the important role played by the electoral observers which includes those from the AU.
“An important aspect of the Electoral Code of Conduct is the role of election observers. The coming election in Sudan will be one of the most closely scrutinized in the world, as well as being the most intensely watched electoral contest in Sudanese history” Buyoya said.
“The African Union will be sending a team of observers, not only for polling day, but to monitor the campaign as well. Part of the function of the observer team is to support the mechanisms for receiving complaints and adjudicating disputes” he added.
Sudan is preparing for April presidential and legislative elections, set up under a 2005 peace accord that also promised the south a referendum in 2011 on whether to split off as an independent country.
(ST)