A Historic Landmark Elections Begins on All Levels Nationwide
(SV)
Early this morning ballots casting begin inside Sudan and abroad. The polls across the states of Sudan saw a high turnout by men and women coming to elect their representatives at presidential, legislative and parliamentary levels.
There are 10750 polls, 16.5 million voters in the general elections slated for 11-12-13 of April, to elect president of the Republic, governors, states' councils in the north, while southerners elect president of the Government of South Sudan, legislative council and governors and legislative council for the provinces.
There are 170 million ballots papers which were reviewed by the National Election Commission (NEC). The ballot papers were printed in Britain, South Africa and Sudan. The polls account for 120,000 designed in China and Denmark. They were delivered at Juba and Khartoum Airports to be distributed in the south and north; besides 20,000 boxes containing materials used in electoral process. Curtains specially designed for this purpose reached 53,000. Personnel of 16758 individuals will be deployed besides high committees at the centers.
The elections will be held via 13,000 centers inside and outside Sudan, where 12 candidates will contest for presidency, two of them are independents. An estimated 13.000 and 850 candidates are expected to run for executive and legislative post, 323 for women constituencies, and 237 women on parties 'tickets.
Leaders vote
Early yesterday morning President Omar Al-Bashir cast his vote at Saint Francis center amid massive presence of the media and warm reception by citizens. He went to center accompanied by his wife, Widad Babikir, who also cast her vote.
The vice president also cast his vote. The leader of Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM), Salva kiir, candidate for south Sudan government presidency, cast his vote in the heart of Juba Town yesterday morning as first multi-party elections kicked off in 24 years nationwide. Kiir was the first to cast his vote at the polls near his office in capital town Juba in the presence of European Union elections observers. The casting of vote process lasted for some time as southerners voters have to tick 12 ballots papers to elect president of Sudan, members of the parliament, president of south Sudan, governors of south Sudan states, states' councils and south Sudan legislative council. The chairman of Sudan People Liberation Movement for Democratic Change (SPLM-DC) Dr. Lam Akol is running against Kiir for south Sudan presidency.
Close monitoring, UN welcomes the first day
Within the framework of international monitoring of the elections, former US president Jimmy Carter made his field tour as voting started yesterday morning to get acquainted with the progress of electoral process by visiting the polls at the Unity School accompanied a team of observers affiliated with his own center. Following his tour, Carter said in press statements he met with officials at the polls and they told him that all preparations were finalized, apologizing for delay in voting, which began an hour later due delay in delivering ballots papers on time. Officials at the centers promised to submit a report to the Election Commission on the delay to make up for lost time.
Carter said a US team also summated a report on the voting kick-off, adding that the center will issue a statement on monitoring at the end of the mission April 17. Carter said he met with Umma Party leader, Al-Sadiq Al-Mahdi, who notified him of his reasons for boycotting the elections. The former U.S. president also met with SPLM's candidate, who also pulled out, Yassir Arman. Carter expressed his hope that the elections will satisfy international standards regarding transparency, fairness and security provision.
Besides Carter Center, 250,000 observers inside Sudan and abroad will be monitoring the electoral process already underway.
UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon welcomed holding of elections in Sudan, describing them as landmark in process of Comprehensive Peace Agreement signed in 2005. Ki-moon's spokesperson said in press statements issued yesterday that Ki-Moon urged Sudanese people to exercise their right to voting in the elections, adding that holding honorable peaceful elections is of great importance for the international community, and will open up political spectrum in Sudan ahead of the referendum scheduled for 2010 stipulated in CPA. Ki-moon said his mission will continue to provide technical and logistic support to the National Elections Commission and others authorities concerned with making the elections a success, in accordance with its mandate.
Progress of voting on day-one
The Police deployed a squad made up of 54,000 men to secure the elections. Hashim Osman Hussein, general Director of Police forces, reiterated the police readiness for the event, adding that framework and administrative plans were set in this connection. Hussein pointed out that the police had taken necessary measures to face any threats to the elections.
A special informative plan was set to educate citizens on elections' procedures, fighting rumors, health information, police spokesperson, Mohammed Abdulmajid said.
Field visits & views
The Minister of Social Welfare, Samia Ahmed Mohammed said - after casting her vote – the turnout was high on the first day. She hoped that the Commission would increase the personnel due to crowd at the polls. Responding to a questions about possibility of extending set date, she said "What's important to us is that every gets his/her right to vote. We will call for that if we feel necessary.
Officers at the polls in Omdurman and Khartoum North, told the paper that they opened the polls according to set time. They affirmed their commitment to directives by the National Elections Commission, affirming that no difficulties facing them at the moment.
Citizens, who were able to cast their votes, expressed their happiness to exercise their democratic right. They said that they were afraid to face difficulties but things went all right.
UNAMID: Darfur is calm as voting begins
(Mirayafm)
The United Nations - African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) reports that it has been calm in the three states of the region as polling kicked off on Sunday morning. UNAMID Spokesperson Nour Al-Dein Al-Mazeni said in an exclusive interview to Radio Miraya that the mission's mandate is restricted to providing technical and logistical support for the elections.
He added that UNAMID is committed to providing protection to civilians
Elections in Darfur Smooth, Calm: Official
(SV)
A senior official from Darfur described the elections process in his state as excellent indicating the stability of the security situation there.
The Governor of Northern Darfur State, Mohamed Yousif Kibir said, in an exclusive statement to Sudan Vision, that there are 420 polling stations in his state indicating that things are natural and smooth, ensuring the presence of international observers in the state to follow up on the ballots.
The Elections High Committee at the State announced the completion of all administrative, technical and security arrangements to implement the final phase of the elections
The Head of the said committee Al-Sir Ahmed Al-Meck explained that the ballot will be held with the participation of 691,871 registered voters, representing 70% of the targeted number, including displaced persons at the camps adding that voters will cast their ballots through 420 polling stations with the assistance of observers from the IGAD, Arab League, African Union and Carter Center in addition to 80 local observers representing the civil organizations.
On the other hand, the Commissioner of Nyala Locality, southern Darfur, Engineer Mohamed Abdul Rahman, said that the beginning of the ballots casting was successful, adding that there are 4 geographical constituencies and 50 polling stations at the level of the locality affirming the attention of the citizens of South Darfur on the voting process whereas delegations present at all the sites, conveyed that the committees are working intensively with the presence of international monitoring bodies indicating that all the supporters of the parties that withdrew participated in voting.
EU observers: elections progressing well
(Mirayafm)
The Head of the European Union's Elections Observation Mission, Veronique De Keyser, said on Sunday that elections are going well in all Northern states with a few exceptions. Speaking to Radio Miraya De Keyser mentioned that in Southern states there is ‘a little bit more confusion'. EU observers withdrew from the Darfur region last week due to insecurity in the region.
Polling begins in Juba amidst delays and missing names
(ST)
Polling for the Sudan’s first democratic elections in 24 years began on Sunday morning amidst delays and missing names from lists in a number of polling stations in the Southern Sudan’s capital, Juba.
Many of the stations began to open as early as eight o’clock while others delayed until 10AM or nearly midday.
The presidential candidate for the Southern Sudan’s ruling party, SPLM, and incumbent President of the region, Salva Kiir Mayardit, who cast his vote at Kololo polling station in Juba, had to wait under a tree near to the gate of the station for about 30 minutes because the station was not in complete readiness by the time he arrived at eight o’clock in the morning.
The SPLM Deputy Chairperson, James Wani Igga, who contests for Juba parliamentary seat, also complained of long delays when he arrived at his voting station only to find that even names of voters were not yet published and tables not set up.
Many voters around various stations in Juba have complained that they could not find their names in the stations from which they were registered.
Voters also complained of slow pace in processing the exercise as people were queuing long, but peaceful queues.
The official Southern Sudan radio has also reported similar complaints from around the ten states in Southern Sudan.
A number of irregularities have also been reported from various states.
President Kiir on Friday appealed to the people of Southern Sudan to avoid violence during the elections and after the announcement of results.
Voting for the Sake of the Nation
(Opinion)
Afar from the winner and the looser language in the current elections, today is witnessing the Sudanese first practical step towards the democratic transformation from a transitional stage toward stability where an unprecedented fundamental change will exist in the country.
The elections from this angle will shape the features of a new Sudan from head to toe.
For the first time in their political life, the Sudanese will vote to elect the President of the Republic in direct elections from the public unlike the previous parliamentary experiences in which the Prime Minister through the parliamentary bloc majority.
The advantage of the Presidential system is that it will bridge the gap through which the parliamentary system chaos sneaked.
The governments in the previous parliamentary regime were subject to ups and downs, the nearest example is Al-Sadiq Al-Mahdi governments in the so-called the third democracy, as nobody could count the number of governments formed by Al-Sadiq Al-Mahdi within only three years!
In the presidential system, which Sudanese are voting to elect its president today, the elected president will be able to form his government without any fears of failure in MPs test, besides the delegation of powers which were not available to the Prime Minister in the parliamentary system.
Today, voters will go in all the 25 states of the country for the first time to elect the State's governor in the area in which they are living, and that means folding the chapter of accusation that the Centre always practice the guardianship over the States' citizens through electing governors from outside the state without any consideration to the desire of the inhabitants of the said state.
Sudanese started their distinguished positive practice in empowering the women whom they respect and sanctify.
It is high time for them to follow the words with action in allocating 25% of the seats for women.
By doing this they are defeating the gender allegations from the foreign partiers which trade in women's issue.
Today the Southerners will elect a president for their government with its wide powers and authorization to make them feel a kind of loyalty to one nation.
Southerners will participate in electing the government under which supervision and administration of the referendum for self-determination will be conducted.
Apart from voting for any person or party, Sudanese are going to vote for the sake of the nation first of all.
The wide participation of the voters and their rushing towards the voting centres is but a proof that Sudanese recognize the importance of the democratic transformation.
As for those who are boycotting they will face a tough challenge as the conduction of the elections and the completion of its quorum is a defeat for the boycotters in the electoral practice.
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