National consensus is prerequisite for 2015 elections in Sudan: DUP
August 16, 2014 (KHARTOUM) – The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) of Mohamed Osman al-Mirhgani has rule out its participation in the general election scheduled next year unless a comprehensive national consensus is reached.
The pro-government website further says that the party’s former candidate for president in 2010, Hatim Alsir, has been chosen to head the DUP’s election committee.
However, Alsir in statements to Sudan Tribune from Sydney where he is currently dismissed the report saying any election under the current political situation “will be a waste of time and a repetition of an old scenario”.
He further stressed that his party will not participate in the upcoming elections without the needed guarantees to ensure the organisation of fair and free elections.
“It is a prerequisite for our participation in the electoral race.”
The former candidate for president added they are not ready to repeat the experience of 2010 stressing the “election was rigged” and the electoral body failed to “remedy the obvious defects”.
He further expected the continuation of the national dialogue process, the postponement of the elections and the formation of a transitional government adding “after all that we can speak about elections”.
However he said the party is holding large consultations but he excluded that means they agree to participate in the election of next year.
After the secession of South Sudan in 2011 and despite the strong resistance of the DUP leadership, the party’s leader decided to join the National Congress Party (NCP)-led government saying Sudan’s unity and territorial integrity is threatened.
Nonetheless, observers say Mirghani is not satisfied from the partnership with the ruling NCP as the government did not take fully into consideration his call for national consensus. Since the bloody protests of September 2013 the DUP leader resides in London.
Alsir criticised the NCP rejection to postpone the election and to accept the formation of a national unity government saying the current political crisis is caused by the wrong order of national priorities pursued by the government.
He said that the government reviewed the electoral law, appointed a new head of the National Election Commission and fixed the date of election without consultations with its partners.
Alsir in 2010 refused to accept the results of the presidential elections and called to investigate the alleged fraud that “characterised the whole electoral process” as he claimed.
The DUP is taking part in the national dialogue mechanism along the NCP and other government parties.
The national dialogue parties on 25 July endorsed a framework agreement including the attributions of the supreme coordination committee known as (7+7 committee), the General Conference, the sub-committees, the agenda of the dialogue and how to implement the outcome of the national dialogue.
(ST)