Sudan’s electoral body rejects all appeals on delineation of geographical constituencies
October 20, 2014 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan’s National Election Commission (NEC) has rejected all appeals on the delineation of geographical constituencies, saying it will continue to receive appeals until 25 October.
The NEC’s geographical constituencies official, Abdalla al-Hardallo, said the commission rejected all appeals being submitted until 16 October, saying they continue to receive appeals.
He pointed that those whose appeals were rejected could resort to the relevant court if they were not convinced by the commission’s decision, saying the first appeal was received from “al-Usud al-Hurra party” Free Lions Party (FLP) on the delineation of the national and state constituencies in the states of Kassala, Red Sea and the River Nile.
According to him, FLP demanded that west Kassala area considered a national geographical constituency besides objecting to using the census as basis for determining constituencies, saying the appeal was rejected because population density is used as basic criterion for drawing constituencies.
Led by Mabrouk Mubarak Salim, the FLP has formed political coalition with the Beja Congress under the name of the East Front which signed a peace agreement with the Sudanese government in the Eritrean capital, Asmara, in October 2006.
Al-Hardallo told the government-sponsored Sudan Media Center (SMC) website that al-Musharaf Mohamed Sadiq made an objection on typos of some components of the constituencies, stressing the NEC rejected the appeal because the necessary correction was already being made.
He added the third appeal was made by the member of the legislative council in North Darfur, Idriss Musa Tareeh, on the delineation of the state and national constituencies in the locality of Al-Waha in North Darfur state.
According to him, Tareeh asked for increasing the number of state and national constituencies in North Darfur but the commission rejected his appeal because the amended election law maintained the same number of the national constituencies while it decreased the state constituencies by 50%.
1129 POLLING STATIONS IN GAZIRA STATE
The head of the high electoral commission in Gazira state, Dafa’allah Alyas, said the commission is ready to carry out all election phases according to the timetable which begins on 28 October.
He mentioned the electoral register will be published for review in all 1,129 polling stations, saying the total number of constituencies in the state is 117, including 25 national constituencies, 42 state constituencies, 30 female constituencies and 20 constituencies for political parties.
Alyas said the commission will provide all political parties with complete records of registered voters, stressing that all Sudanese citizens who are 18 years and older are allowed to vote in the election.
He added that a delegation from the national NEC will visit the state to hold meetings with several parties, including the electoral commission, judiciary, police and the stakeholders, to assess ongoing preparations for the election.
According to the official news agency SUNA, Alyas said that the NEC has provided all financial and technical requirements of the electoral commission in the Gazira state.
(ST)