Sudan elections turned into a lie that cannot live
By Hala Al-Karib
April 13, 2010 — Khartoum streets are quiet and empty, though its elections day, most of the people have considered it a holiday, preferring to observe at a distance the joke of what is called Sudan elections. Many people have left the capital to save themselves from the agony of being chased and forced to go to voting centres, particularly the most vulnerable such as the street venders, vegetable and food sellers.
The transformation process of Sudan elections, from being a serious historical moment into an empty meaningless event is a long and complex one. However I have to say that; Sudanese people have tried and yet are continuously alienated by the naivety and shortsightedness of the international political actors, the tyranny and greed of the national unity government, the same government that is presumably responsible for leading the country to democratic transformation.
CONTEXT AND WHO IS WHO?
The whole idea of democratising the developing world has been a fashion and a motto carried by the western world over the past decade. The attempts by the International actors to enforce democratisation by collaborating with regimes that do not carry the seeds of democracy and that are not ready to implant it, have been a failure. This has often resulted in catastrophic situations which empower the oppressive regimes and undermine the voices of the developing nation’s citizens. The truth is that there is no democracy without accountability towards the citizens of the country.
The Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) was meant to at least drive the country towards some stability and to grant the South Sudanese a fair and democratic environment to choose their terms of existence geopolitically within Sudan or outside the big country borders and to form their own entities or state after years of subordination and to allow a fair level of autonomy to the people of Nuba Mountains and Blue Nile.
The capacity of the two actors in power in North and South Sudan, to carry out the agenda of the CPA over the past five years has always been a questionable matter. From day one the National Congress Party (NCP- Sudan ruling party) showed their dislike and disapproval of the CPA. The agreement was perceived by the NCP as a tool to undermine their power and a threat to their existence and not as a way to reach sustainable peace and stability in the country. NCP’s position was made very clear when they repeatedly deflated the agreement tools and mechanisms. The ruling party clearly stated that they would not compromise their existence in power, their control of the country resources and where and how to allocate these resources.
In 2005 the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) joined the government as partners, carrying the book of the CPA. Their limited civil political experience and humble leadership capacity was obvious. On the other hand the long term players (The NCP) who inherited all the political experience and caliber of Sudan Muslim brothers movement, later the National Islamic Front were born with teeth and strong arms internationally and regionally.
The NCP is the fruit of the long maneuver for power led by the Sudan Islamists since the 1960s. A group known all through Sudan’s political history for its ambition and brutality in pursuing their goal for power until they finally managed to grab it openly in a military coup in 1989. All through the 1990s the NCP has led the most aggressive war campaign in South Sudan and Nuba Mountains where thousands of people were killed and displaced. This was done while practicing massive political repressions in North Sudan and millions of Sudanese were released from public service jobs and trade unions of the country were dismantled. Furthermore, hundreds of Sudanese people were tortured or assassinated in what was called, at the time, the ghost houses of Sudan. As of 2003 the NCP had implicated itself in brutal massacres and displacement of people in Darfur.
The SPLM has been a partner of the NCP over the past five years. Their performance has reflected their vulnerability and manifested a poor political comprehension of Sudan civil politics and dynamics. However, it’s fair to say that at least the young political institution has strived to maintain a united South Sudan even though the SPLM has consistently fail to spread its wings out of these southern territories. The inexperience of the political institution in the south has limited itself to one dimension strategy with no regional or national vision. The main strategy used by the South Sudan government, The lead body of the SPLM all through the five years is “bending the head down”. It’s worth saying here that the head bending of the SPLM has not resulted in any substantial gains if not further loses, in relations to the rights of the South Sudan people and their access to resources and wealth.
GLEAMS OF HOPE DISTRACTED BY SHORT SIGHTED POLITICS:
The crippled National Unity government timeline has reached the election pages of the CPA Book, an opportunity for a soft landing for the county hijacked plane , yet between the vulnerability of the Southern government and the disruptive politics of the NCP, Sudan apparently will remain in turmoil.
The strategy of forging Sudan census and elections has occupied the agenda of the NCP over the past three to four years and was cooked long ago. A sensible reader to the country realities and indications will see clearly that it’s going to be a lie election.
The real surprise occurred when the SPLM leadership announced Yassir Arman as their candidate. It was an unexpected announcement for most Sudanese who are politically engaged and the ones close to the political circles and know the candidate. It was concluded that the SPLM leadership had finally awakened to the need to challenge the establishment in control since the upcoming period would bring the utmost challenge and they needed to ensure that the process would be facilitated smoothly.
Despite the skepticism about the elections results and census, Arman’s candidacy has brought a missing level of credibility to the process as opposed to other Northern candidates who have been known to the people of Sudan for a long time. 1) The candidate’s records and C.V show that he is the best candidate for the coming elections. he service record as a parliamentarian and his stand besides issues of rights and accountability was evident and consistent.2) He is the man that has a connection to both sides; the North and the South through his family and of his place of origin 3) Arman is one of the few who have demonstrated a vision of Sudan diversity and understanding of the country ethnic and racial challenges.
A graduate ground of support to the SPLM candidate has been growing across the country over the past eight weeks and it could be seen by observing his campaign in South Sudan, Darfur and the far north.
Although the aspect of forgery is known to the majority of Sudanese people, it was thought at the time that, the people would stand against forgery and will resent illegitimacy and collectively guard the potential for democracy. Large numbers of civil initiatives were formed across the country for that purpose.
THE MASTER PLAN-IS IT AN ELECTION FOR SUDANESE TO VOTE OR FOR THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO SHOW OFF IN ITS BOOK OF ACHIEVEMENTS?
The master plan was sitting there somewhere. The master plan is deaf and blind and unable to see the dynamics of change on the ground. Various factors have transferred Sudan elections into a meaningless process and stolen the possibilities of change.
In addition to elements of forgery and lack of technical ability by the current Elections Commission, there is use of repressive means by the regime. All this could have been amended if the Sudanese peoples’ voices calling for postponing and revising the election process and to allow other parties an opportunity to contribute fairly to the process had been listened to. But this did not happen on purpose.
The technocrats of the International Community (IC) led by Scott Gration the American envoy to Sudan, have chosen to turn a blind eye to all acts of corruption and the poor technical ability of the Elections Commission(NEC) the biased legislation designed by the NCP and aspects of corruption around the process . The position of the IC reflects the limitation of scope towards Sudan, mainly dominated by individual interests far from lines of principles and commitment to international rights, mechanisms and to the CPA. But most importantly it shows that Sudan lies at the bottom of the IC’s priorities.
The IC actors’ current stand comes quite comfortably in line with the desperate regime avoiding the international justice and seeking legitimacy. The two positions of the IC and the NCP are equally agreeing on undermining the power of the citizens of the country, the crisis in Darfur and most importantly disregarding the acts of resistance building up among the youth, workers, displaced people and women. All this was done through utilizing the vulnerability of the South Sudan government.
These factors have jointly contributed to the transformation of Sudan elections from an opportunity to create prospects for democratic change into a mere lie that has no life as said by Martin Luther King Jr.
In May 2006 in a meeting in South Darfur, with a group of women in the town of Gerida, a few hours after an attack on the town and desperation was beyond limits, we sat there and some of the women were saying “We will try to hold it together until the UN peace keepers come to save us” An older woman responded, “No one will come; we are way too far to reach.”
A Sudanese human and women rights activist. Works on Sudan and the Horn of Africa on aspects of policy and legislating change in relation to women rights and gender equality. Written and contributed to many papers and articles on issues of gender and identity in the Horn of Africa and Sudan. She is the current director of a Horn of Africa Women Coalition-(SIHA Network)