NCP and SPLM pledge to form Sudan’s next government

April 20, 2010 (JUBA) – Sudan’s partners in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), which ended 21 years of North-South armed conflict five years ago, have agreed to accept the election results at all levels in the country and pledged to jointly form the next government.

During a meeting held on Tuesday in Juba between the chairperson of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), Salva Kiir Mayardit and the deputy chairperson of the National Congress Party (NCP), Ali Osman Mohamed Taha, the two leaders pledged to accept the results at all levels despite any complaints from parties.

The Juba meeting between Kiir and Taha also discussed the way forward in the expected formation of the next elected Government of National Unity with participation or membership of the two parties.

They also expressed the need for immediate resumption of dialogue on implementation of the other remaining outstanding issues in the CPA following the formation of the new government.

The incumbent President Omer Hassan al-Bashir is expected to remain the President of the Republic while Salva Kiir is expected to continue as First Vice President of the Republic and President of the semi-autonomous Government of Southern Sudan.

Observers say that the agreement between the two respective ruling parties in the North and South, committing themselves to acceptance of the results before they are officially released, signifies a giant step towards maintaining the status quo.

The meeting was also joined by the former SPLM presidential candidate and Deputy Secretary General for Northern Sector and withdrawn candidate for the Sudanese presidency, Yasir Saeed Arman and the party’s Secretary General, Pagan Amum, who also arrived to Juba from Khartoum on Tuesday.

Earlier, Amum and Arman presented a complaint on what they said was indication of serious rigging of elections by NCP in Southern Blue Nile state.

Yasir Arman yesterday accused the NCP of building up troops in Blue Nile state in what he termed as an attempt to rig the elections’ result there.

A delegation from the National Elections Commission (NEC) led by Mukhtar Alasam arrived today in Blue Nile to inspect vote counting after reports of tensions in the State after reports about troop buildup and NCP efforts to rig the results of the region where SPLM’s Malik Aggar is widely believed winning the race.

According to the results reported by the SPLM agents, Malik is given winner with huge difference of votes however; some media reputed to be pro-northern Sudan ruling party indicated that NCP candidate Farah Al-Aggar is leading the preliminary election results against his SPLM opponent, Malik Agar.

Following a meeting with the NEC delegation, the incumbent governor Malik Aggar reiterated his confidence on the state election committee. He also pointed to a number of irregularities that took place in some localities.

Malik further announced that he will accept the elections results regardless of who wins the governorship post. He urged to expedite the counting of the results to avoid tensions that might go on after the proclamation of the result under the current security situation.

The NCP candidate in the Blue Nile had slammed Arman’s statements over electoral fraud describing it as political blackmailing. While the NEC Chairman of the Elections Security Committee, Lieutenant General Abdulla Al Hardalo, stated that the date for announcing the results is not determined yet.

In a statement issued Tuesday evening, Malik appealed to all citizens and political parties to accept the elections results, whatever the outcome may be and pledged in his capacity as the current Governor to provide security to all and protection to citizen’s property.

The SPLM Northern Sector boycotted the recent elections in most states of Northern Sudan with the exception of Southern Blue Nile and Southern Kordofan, which participated.

A number of political parties from both northern and southern Sudan have expressed their dissatisfaction to the electoral process, saying they would not recognize the results.

(ST)