Sudan’s DUP reverses course on boycotting presidential elections

April 3, 2010 (KHARTOUM) — The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) in Sudan announced today that it will continue to run in the presidential elections despite declaring earlier this week that it will boycott in line with position taken by other opposition parties.

In a press release issued today, the DUP said its change of heart was driven by the hesitant stances later adopted by other opposition parties and the emergence of dissenting views with regard to participation in the elections that start next week.

“Our party has faced a complex situation resulting from the National Congress Party’s [NCP] reversal in meeting the requirements of the peace agreement….our party called for the need to engage in the electoral process as a way to bring about democratic change, and committed ourselves to all decisions of the forces of national consensus, despite our reservations on some parts [of the decisions]”.

“We declare that our party’s clear position that the National Unionist Party will continue the electoral process to the end unless there are developments [that] necessitate otherwise, and at the same time calling our people [to exercise] caution and vigilance to follow all forms of violations that occur now and during the polls and documenting it”.

Following the surprise decision by the south Sudan party to withdraw from the presidential race and boycott elections in Darfur, the opposition parties rushed to meet with most deciding on pulling out from the presidential race including the Umma Party, DUP and the communist party. A few have even went as far as announcing a total boycott of elections at all levels.

However later the parties appeared to have second thoughts on the decision to boycott. The Umma Party gave the government until next week to meet a set of conditions relating to reforming the electoral process or else they would call off their participation in the entire process.

The DUP led by Mohamed Osman al-Merghani had until recently distanced itself from the opposition alliance, preferring to talk to NCP but after accusations of irregularities in electoral procedure, it joined the alliance.

Today the Saudi owned Al-Hayat newspaper quoted unidentified officials as saying that the NCP has promised some opposition parties with ministerial cabinets if they take part in the polls.

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 and has left 300,000 people dead. No comprehensive peace deal has been reached for Darfur.

The parliamentary, local and presidential elections are a crucial step in the 2005 north-south peace deal that ended a 21-year civil war and paves the way for a referendum when southerners would decide whether they will opt for secession from the Muslim-dominated north.

(ST)