Sudan presidency meeting cancelled, tension mounts as Bashir threatens SPLM on referendum
March 29, 2010 (KHARTOUM) — The meeting at the Sudanese presidency between president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir, First Vice President Salva Kiir and 2nd Vice President Ali Osman Taha have been cancelled, multiple media outlet reported late Monday.
“There was no agreement on the agenda to be raised to the presidency,” Abdullah Masar, an advisor to Bashir, told Reuters.
“There are differences over the elections — the NCP [National Congress Party] says the elections must happen on time,” he added.
The pan-Arab Al-Jazeera TV based in confirmed the cancellation.
Earlier today, Bashir threatened that any delay in the polls schedule for April will mean that the 2011 referendum will have to pushed back.
“If the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) refuses to hold elections then we will refuse to hold the referendum,” he said during a campaign speech in Khartoum.
“We will not accept a delay to the elections not even for one day,” Bashir said. Last week he threatened to expel international observers who asked for any delay to the presidential and legislative polls due to start on April 11.
The ex-Southern rebel group which signed a peace agreement with the CPA in 2005 has always been sensitive about changing the date for self determination vote in which Southerners will decide whether they want to remain part of united Sudan or secede.
However, opposition parties which maintain close links to SPLM have been pushing for postponing the elections till November. Last year, the South Sudan capital Juba hosted Northern opposition parties under the auspices of the SPLM in a coalition that formed a front against the NCP.
The ruling party slammed its junior partner in the government for hosting the conference saying that its goal is to topple the government.
The SPLM stance on the elections, however, has been anything but clear. Opposition parties submitted a letter to the presidency this month requesting a postponement in order to allow for major reforms in a number of laws primarily relating national security and media.
The 17 signatories to this letter gave the presidency a week to positively respond else they will meet and decide the next step. They do not include the SPLM or the Popular Congress Party (PCP) led by Hassan Al-Turabi. The parties said that following the presidency meeting and deliberations on their memo they will hold a meeting and decide the next steps which would include boycott.
But now that the presidency meeting is cancelled it remains to be seen how the opposition parties will react. Kiir has requested that the opposition memo should be on the agenda but did not state what the SPLM position is.
The SPLM SG Pagan Amum told the independent Al-Sahafa that he along with SPLM VP Riek Machar, SPLM Deputy SG and presidential nominee Yasir Arman, foreign minister Deng Alor is meeting with presidential assistant Nafie Ali Nafie who is part of the NCP leadership.
Amum said the participants discussed the opposition memo and the role played by the National Elections Commission (NEC) and violations it committed that go in favor of the NCP. He added that both sides have not reached a common ground.
Today, the top official for the Southern Sector of the SPLM, Ann Itto, said her party had been worried by recent irregularities in the electoral process.
In a press conference on Monday, Itto said ballot papers were being printed in Khartoum instead of in other countries, such as the Republic of South Africa, as previously believed.
Ballot papers for posts of three executive levels that include President of the Republic, President of the Government of Southern Sudan and state governors were being printed in Khartoum, she explained.
She added that such printing had been taking place in money mints “totally controlled by the NCP [National Congress Party].”
Itto expressed skepticism whether all of the printed ballot papers had been handed over to the National Elections Commission (NEC) or some of them might have been taken somewhere else.
The NEC said a bid for printing the voting slips was advertised and two Sudanese companies secured it and that due to time constraints one set of the cards was diverted from a Slovenian company to a Sudanese one stressing that at each step this process was made with the participation of UNMIS elections office.
The opposition parties said this is clearly shows the collaboration between the NEC and NCP to defraud the elections and noted that cost of printing locally costs five times as much to print abroad.
An internal UN document obtained by the Sudanese opposition, however, warned of a potential “conflict of interest” in allowing the state-owned press to print the ballots.
The Umma Reform and Renewal Party, Mubarak al-Fadil, said the move would allow ballot stuffing in the election. The government “wants to force public sector employees and security forces to stuff the ballot boxes,” he charged.
Furthermore Ali Al-Sayed, a leading figure at the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) claimed that the local printing house is unable to print the sequential numbers which will mean it has to resort to photocopying and that the NEC acknowledged that it will take at least 18 days to complete the process.
Al-Sayed said this will open the door for fraud and that his party will challenge this procedure with the NEC among other things. He further revealed that they will protest the $33 million campaign spending by the NCP and accused the NEC of suspending the rules that places a ceiling on how much money that can be used.
An electoral committee official said the decision to award the contract to the state press was due to the costs of transporting the ballots and the limited time between the poll and any run-off.
“Transportation of the ballots from Slovenia to Sudan would have cost two million dollars,” said Mokhtar al-Assam to Agence France Presse (AFP).
“If there is a need for a second round in the presidential election, it will take place quickly and it will be impossible to print the ballots out of the country,” he said.
The SPLM official spokesperson, Yien Matthew Chol, on Monday told Miraya FM radio that the party was studying the possibility of boycotting the elections at all levels.
Kiir, was expected to travel to Khartoum on Tuesday to attend the Presidency meeting in order to arrive at a decision on whether or not to postpone the elections.
A senior opposition figure told Sudan Tribune today that there is a strong possibility that SPLM Northern sector will boycott while the party will run in the South to maintain its political dominance there.
The Darfur Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) also called for postponing elections during the talks with Khartoum.
(ST)
Kim Deng
Sudan presidency meeting cancelled, tension mounts as Bashir threatens SPLM on referendum
Folks,
The SPLM as a political party in the country must distance itself from traditional political parties [DUP & NDA).
johnmaker
Sudan presidency meeting cancelled, tension mounts as Bashir threatens SPLM on referendum
wonders shall never end in sudan.What evil prsident……………..?
World Maker
Sudan presidency meeting cancelled, tension mounts as Bashir threatens SPLM on referendum
Thank you Mr. President Bashiir for being honest.
See, Dinka Regime leading by tikyual Kuoth Salva Kiir is now taking us to darkness. What Bashiir said is not a joke. If OUR blind Leader called Salva continue to act stupidly, Arab will get a chance to destroy the CPA without condemnation from the international Community. Kiir Must go hell NOW!
BY WORLD MAKER
NYDG
Sudan presidency meeting cancelled, tension mounts as Bashir threatens SPLM on referendum
These northern political parties are obstructionists for peace. They are the biggest threat to southern Sudan’s future. Dinka SPLM must understand that fact. Why would the SPLM be convince by these northern political parties to pasphone the election? Bashir is right that, if election is pastphone, then you are also allowing the referendum to be pastphone as well. We must follow what is in the in ther interim-constitution, otherwise, the risk will be on us. Election must happen as schedule. As southern Sudanese we should not care much about the outcome of this election as long as referendum will come by sooner or later to decide our destiny. But, this Majak Agot and Nyadeng will never understand. We are moving toward outbreak of war if this is the case. This is the dangerous move that southern Sudanese under the Dinka SPLM can make. Any pastphonement of the election will mean war from the NCP. You are also allowing the NCP to throw the so call CPA in garbage can if they want. Let us follow what has been written in the interim-constitution and move smoothly toward the referendum.
Time1
Sudan presidency meeting cancelled, tension mounts as Bashir threatens SPLM on referendum
The cancellation of the presidency meeting is not related to the election debate, is is because Taha is abroad and Bashir was in Libya, also the campaign is going on and the main candidates are very busy, i think this are the main reasons.
As for the election debate as to wether it should be postone or not, south sudanese in general have no interest in this elections being postpone, so the elections should just be allowed to go on, the opposition in the north has a different agenda which is different from the SPLM, there tactic is to sabotage the elections in order to sabotage the referendum, their action is well calculated, therefore the SPLM should distances itself from this postponement of elections unless south sudan has a direct interest to gain from it.
Even Omer bashir has no right to cancel the referendum but the elections and the refendum has to go on as agreed on before, there is no reason for the south to support suspension of elections, it is in no way in southern interests even if not about the referendum it will help to strengthen the anti-south political groups in the north, this is not good for the south.
Dinka Boy
Sudan presidency meeting cancelled, tension mounts as Bashir threatens SPLM on referendum
Dear readers,
We do not want the election and the referendum to be push and inched away. SPLM need not to delay the election as well as referendum.
Yes, we have seen bashier right now ;therefore, we want to be ready for any aggression from Khartoum.Please to my people from Nuer, we can not afford going to khartoum like before when we left Dinka only in the battlefield. We have to help them this time because joining enemy can not help us.Nuer.
In fact, 2010 election might be disaster indeed if we elect Bashier as apresident. We Nuer are good for everything and we are supporting Bashier and Dr Lam Akol. Let me add something that we Naath believe in food and wurnyang.ngundeeng for centuries as our true god in our land.
We make acoalition governmnet with Bashier in 1991 so that we can get our selve independent from Dinka who have been our presige leaders since the creation of Earth. After we make allaince with Arab governmnet, we agree with our respected president Bashier so that we can deployed our brave Nuer in the oil field in Bentiu to protect it from Dinka government who want to exploit our oil.
We deployed Matip Nhial to protect our oil from Dinka SPLM because that is the only thing that we can lived with,no other that can help us in this soil. We Nuer have been living for stealing and raiding cattle from Dinka for centuries,and in fact if we felt like we have nothing to eat, we go and raid civilians and take their cattle for our living so that we can wait for our crops to grow in our Nuer land.
Moreover, We Nuer value Arab more than the South because they have been giving as free food,and even they provide us free arms that can make us easy to go raiding and penetrate those Dinka who can resist our raiding. Yes, we Nuer knows that we can die but we value food than any thing and that is why we go raing the cattle because food is better than life.
Indeed, because we Nuer have shallow mind that can compete with South Sudanese, the only thing that we can do is to be nagative always and complained when the food is ready because we Nuer have no capacity to lead at all because we are the curse comunity as predicted by Ngundeeng and wurnyang.
Though we Nuer slaughtered Wurnyang when he gimmick as by giving as two identitical bulls, he kept one in the house and he led one bull killed and latter subsituted the dead with the alive bull and he said this bull is the bull that we killed before, as aresult, when we Nuer go to Dinka Bor land and every single dead Nuer will rose in his own house. In fact, because of the promise of Wurnyang, we just jump to the barrel of the guns and we all die while hopping that we will resurrect in our own house. None of us Nuer get up in houses therefore, we slaughtered Wurnyang and left with Ngundeeng.
We Nuer are sure that our only and educated man- Riek Machar Durgon will be the president of South for 50 years so that he can make it like the way Dinka and Equatorians led in the country/Sudan. We believed in Ngundeeng as our only servior,and no more than that because he promise as to have aleader in the near future and he told us that we are the only people who will lead the South till death.
Frankly, Dinka must know that we fight hard because of food and if they don,t provide us /Nuer enough food before April,then there will be no election as well as referendum because we desperately need somthing to eat. We Nuer are brave for the killing of innocents because those are the only people we can fight with. We Nuer knows that we are born empty and will die empty,but what can we do because our mind can not help us to undestand the positives of education. We are the curse community, we know about that but what can we do now.
We Naath we die after the very best two Nuer leaders; Dr Riek Machar and Agenlina Teny because if they die no any other leader can lead the south. We hope we Naath want every one to be uncivilian than attending education because we need more young youth to do the raiding and give food to the old and weak individual. I regrete of being called Anuer because our mind is thick and dark and that is why we can not see the truth behind the eye level. Thanks Ngundeegng Oyeee, Nuer Oyeee.
thomas
Sudan presidency meeting cancelled, tension mounts as Bashir threatens SPLM on referendum
I don’t know all the facts so I’m just going to trust President Kiir, Vice-President Machar, Cde. Yasir Arman, Dr. Anne Itto, Cde. Deng Alor, and Cde. Pagan Amum so sort this mess out. They know the depths of ncp capabilities I’m sure, having fought them for decades. Kiir knows his destiny too, just like Joshua. I remember once in an interview during Kiir’s first visit to the state he was asked about all the possible schemes Khartoum has hatched and continue to plot, what if there’s no referendum, what is they succeed? He said, “I’m a soldier, I’m always ready”. The point is SPLM is not impotent, neither is SPLA, neither are southerners.
superior Junibi
Sudan presidency meeting cancelled, tension mounts as Bashir threatens SPLM on referendum
Dr. Kiir need to stop listening to this so call opposing thugs. It is this group’s interest to derail CPA and prevent us from voting for 2011 referendum. This election must be held so we know who won and start to make preparation for the most important event which is refrerendum in this case.
Al bashir need to stop threatening us on refrerendum. We fought for decades beacause of it. We can kill for!
Hillary B.M.L,M
Sudan presidency meeting cancelled, tension mounts as Bashir threatens SPLM on referendum
What do you think of Mr. Omer Albashir Stance, is it a good stance or bad?
Clearly He says, Postponement of Election mean postponement of Referendum. And if Referendum push a head most Southerners will lose hope and may change their minds for Unity.
South Sudananes, under Dinkas rule should think twice, now Albashier is helping us than those oppositions Leaders who need Unity by using other ways tactics.
murlescrewed
Sudan presidency meeting cancelled, tension mounts as Bashir threatens SPLM on referendum
Al-Bashir is bluffing and SPLM could call it on that and get away with it. What is the alternative if the referendum is not held according to the schedule? Nothing. SPLM can afford to wait it out and see what happens.
I personally think that the referendum should be suspended for a year as the two partners negotiate another alternative such as confederation. This should be done by a part representing North and SPLM.
Gatwech
Sudan presidency meeting cancelled, tension mounts as Bashir threatens SPLM on referendum
Hello Southerners,
I have noticed a big similarity between the 2008 population census process and this process of fake and pre-rigged good-for-nothing elections.
The SPLM was talking about postponing the census but agreed to it in the last hour. The compromise resulted to the failure of the census in the South and elsewhere.
This is repeating itself with the elections process. We have only 13 days left to the polling day while the discussion to postpone or not to postpone the elections is still going on. In the last minute the SPLM may agree to hold the elections despite the fact that the NCP has already pre-rigged. The result may be Dr. Lam Akol declared the winner in the South while Bashir maintain presidency seat in Khartoum. What will we do in the face of the international community? Rejection to the results will be considered a violation. Also conflicts will flare up among MPs contestants in every county.
This election should be boycotted and let the NCP conduct it alone to see if it will get legitimacy out of it. I don’t see one sided football team scoring goals without a challenging team and calling it a legitimate game.
The elections may result to violence in the South which can also delay the referendum. It is better to boycot it so that the South remains united under the current leadership and face whatever will happen during the referendum. UDI (Unilateral Declaration of Independence) can be declared if we reach January 2011as a stable and united people.
Let elections be postponed but the referendum should remain as scheduled for January 2011. No compromise on that!
But whether we conduct the elections or not, still the North will work to delay the referendum. But should it occur while this fake elections have caused divisions and violence in the South, this will be regrettable to the people of South Sudan because even a declaration of UDI can also fail!
Deng Garang Akech
Sudan presidency meeting cancelled, tension mounts as Bashir threatens SPLM on referendum
Yes my friends and readers,
President Bashir is right and we need to be wise in all we do toward our needs not publics interest as far as all Sudan is concern. If we need southern sudan state, therefore allowed election first before 2011 with no delayment.
Padiet Deng Alony
Sudan presidency meeting cancelled, tension mounts as Bashir threatens SPLM on referendum
Northern Parties Pushing election upto november as they said.2 months near to the referendum bullshit never. CPA upto 2011 Kiir for Change Kiir leltagir.Nonsense we should not be intimidated for extending referendum.Unity not attractive if not what next, Separation by any means.
paweetdit
Sudan presidency meeting cancelled, tension mounts as Bashir threatens SPLM on referendum
Bravo SPLM! keep that spirit, Omar or UuMaar/Donkey should not threat people at this time.It is to late for Bashir to threaten people otherwise we are ready for whatever he felt as good for him.
Refendum will not be push back until Jesus comes if were to be Salva,Riek,Arman and Pagan etc.
SPLM Oyeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! We shall never surrounder!!!!!
Deng Garang Akech
Sudan presidency meeting cancelled, tension mounts as Bashir threatens SPLM on referendum
Please my friends agreement is an agreement a mong the partners involves.Therefore what bout the northerns parties for, with the SPLM to do what with ! Only Southern Sudan State at the begin of 09/01/2011, please President Bashir is right hundred of times within this election to be postphone is very wrong and crime toward referendum of the SOUTHERN SUDANBY 2011.
Akuma
Sudan presidency meeting cancelled, tension mounts as Bashir threatens SPLM on referendum
There is no were Bashir can threaten SPLM party, since Southern Sudan is rule by different President Dr. Salva Kiir Mayardit, then it is very easy for Southern Sudanese to declared their unilateral independent rather than waiting for referendum.
Referendum from where and the NCP party is threaten other parties. There is no guarantee of that Bashir Election of April whom he schedulle to be free and fair.
Don’t waste your time.
Please declare unilateral independent, you have more time to go!
Dr. Akuma,
Chicago, USA
Achuil Manyuat Tong
Sudan presidency meeting cancelled, tension mounts as Bashir threatens SPLM on referendum
The NCP has already manage to lay a strategy of riging the upcoming election .The only thing here is to postpone the election and begin a new planing .