Sudan’s NEC welcomes international monitoring of 2015 elections

October 22, 2014 (KHARTOUM) – The National Election Commission (NEC) on Wednesday welcomed international monitoring of the general elections which are scheduled for April 2015.

NEC commissioners for parties and organisations, Attallah Hamad Bashir, reiterated the readiness of the electoral boy to to cooperate with the international community and welcomed international monitoring of the upcoming election.

In statements to the semi official SMC, he stressed they plan to conduct free and fair elections according to international standards.

The Sudanese official added that a delegation from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) visited the NEC premises in Khartoum where it was briefed on the steps implemented in the context of the forthcoming elections

Bashir disclosed that 28 parties communicated them the names of their delegates for next year vote.

Opposition parties even those who are participating in the national dialogue process say they will boycott the 2015 elections. They ask to postpone it for a two year period in order to end the ongoing conflicts in southern and western Sudan and to agree on the constitutional reforms.

However, the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) rejects such demands saying the postponement will create a constitutional vacuum in the country.

Meanwhile, a NCP leading member Mohamed al-Hassan al-Amin said his party will pay about 48.6 million Sudanese pounds (SDG) to cover the fees of its candidates for the elections, at the level of the presidency, the governors, national and regional geographical constituencies.

In remarks he made on Wednesday, al-Amin noted that the high financial cost of the elections will exclude small parties.

“The parties that do not have money or financial supporters have no place in the election race,” he said.

(ST)