US envoy expresses confidence over credibility of Sudan elections
April 3, 2010 (KHARTOUM) — The US special envoy to Sudan Scott Gration today gave his blessings to the work of the National Election Commission (NEC) saying that he is satisfied that they can be held in a credible manner.
“These people have gone to great lengths to ensure that the people of Sudan will have access to polling places and that the procedures and processes will ensure transparency. This has been a difficult challenge but I believe they have stepped up and met the challenge ” he added.
Gration’s remarks come contrary to assertions made by the Umma Party led by Al-Sadiq Al-Mahdi during their meetings with him this week.
Sara Nugd-Alla, a member of the Umma Party political bureau told reporters yesterday that Gration promised Al-Mahdi that that he would press the ruling National Congress party (NCP) to reschedule the elections which has been the main demand for opposition parties.
Statements from the US State department this week has consistently appeared to favor conducting elections as scheduled.
The NEC today affirmed its position on holding the elections as planned.
“The National Elections Commission is working to have the elections on the dates we specified on April 11, 12, 13,” deputy head of the NEC, Abdullah Ahmed Abdullah, told reporters after with Gration.
“The NEC confirmed to Gration that it had completed all the necessary procedures to have the elections on the specified dates,” he added.
The ruling National Congress Party (NCP) has strongly rejected any delay to the polls threatening Southerners to push back the 2011 referendum if the join the calls for postponement.
The Sudanese president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir and NCP candidate on Saturday again ruled out a delay and accused the opposition of seeking to overthrow the ruling party, in a campaign speech in the northern town of Kassala.
“There will be no delay and no cancellation,” he said in the speech broadcast by Sudanese television.
Bashir wants to win the elections to legitimize his rule, in defiance of an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant for his arrest for war crimes in Darfur, after a brutal counter-insurgency campaign begun in 2003.
The Reform and Renewal Party (URRP) chief Mubarak Al-Fadil told the Dubai based Al-Arabiya TV slammed Gration’s saying he wants to help Bashir and the NCP maintain power in order to prevent hard-line Islamic extremist from taking over and offering a safe haven for terrorists.
Sudan, placed on the terrorism list in 1993, had in recent years improved its counter-terrorism cooperation with the United States particularly in targeting Al-Qaeda figures in the horn of Africa
(ST)
Peter Nhiany
US envoy expresses confidence over credibility of Sudan elections
Mr. Graton, I got no clue what you are talking about. What confident do you have on Sudan elections if Bashir is his counterpart party Presidential nominee? What don’t you talk about that if you think election is going to be fair and on time. I do not trust you with your Bashir. Who knows what you and Bashir talk about at his place at night when sun, and light is out. This is a big NO NO to Southerners. This election is not favoring us the Southerners if our Presidential Candidate is threatened to be withdrawn. I think you have black side Mr. Groton. Southerners will lose trust on you.
K Bambo
US envoy expresses confidence over credibility of Sudan elections
General Gration is just another NCP ambassador, so he is so much into seeing NCP elected so that suffering continues in Sudan and his job is secured.
yazB
US envoy expresses confidence over credibility of Sudan elections
One has to be pragmatic when looking at the Sudan policy review (pls see a picture posted on Blue Nile Media group page on facebook)
The picture taken in Sept 2010, showing Mr. Gration was pictured in the white house showing in a meeting with Mr. Obama a map of the Sudan.
What they were not aware of at the time was that the map was clearly showing the border demarcation of the 3 states within the Sudan (North,South & West) as part of the Sudan review Policy. This was picked up by the German TV station ZDF and the white hosue later dismissed accusiations that the classified part of the Sudan review policy was specifically relating to dis-integration of the Sudan into 3 states by 2015.
Why? It’s all about OIL! The Enegry review committee has given the north the current oilfields in Abeyie which are considered China’s cheapest source of oil in return for GoSS giving US oil companies exploration concessions (the ones Garang vetoed when the British had the White Nile in the London FTSE which was over subscribed by the oil traders in the hope that further oilfield are now ready in West Equatoria). This was overrlued by NCP in return for China military support against the Darfuri armed groups.
The French have now already declared that their policy with regards to tehoil in Sudan are shifting towards a joint expolration agreement with Egypt, Libyia (managed by the British-Dutch-Norwigian congramolate (Shell-BP) and China for exploration rights in 2012, this is expected to be Africa’s largest oil reserve south of the Sahara Desert.
Conclusion: The US may have facilitated the CPA under pressure from IGAD and AU conditional on granting the oil cartel of the access to the oilfiled in South Sudan. They are now gaging for the referendum to kick off their exploration.
That’s not the Sudanese people issue! Oil under dictatorships only brings more chaos and the main benificiary are the Arms Cartel.
We are interesetd in prosperity stemming from our agenda and not the energy or arms cartels.