2010 Elections | Official Thread

[chiefayic2]

In coming April, there will be up to six elections in Sudan: National presidential and parliamentary, the South Sudanese presidency, state governors, the South's parliament and state assemblies.

Well, you can post anything to do with any of those polls here......thanks

[chiefayic2]

Somewhat helpful...

Sudan elects on national level a head of state - the president - and a legislature. The president is elected for a five year term by the people. Elections for the unicameral, 360-member National Assembly was last held in December 2000.

The country is currently in an interim (transitional) period following the signing of a Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) on 9 January 2005 that officially ended the civil war between the Sudanese Government (based in Khartoum) and the southern-based Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) rebel group.

The newly formed National Legislature, whose members were chosen in mid-2005, has two chambers. The National Assembly (Majlis Watani) consists of 450 appointed members who represent the government, former rebels, and other opposition political parties. The Council of States (Majlis Welayat) has 50 members who are indirectly elected by state legislatures. All members of the National Legislature serve six-year terms.

(Wiki)

[chiefayic2]

Sudanese general election, 2010

Presidential and parliamentary elections will be held in Sudan from 11 April to 13 April 2010[1][2] to elect the President of Sudan and the National Assembly of Sudan. The election brings to the end the transitional period which began when the decades-long Second Sudanese Civil War ended in 2005.

The elections were to be held in Sudan from March to April 2009, and there were reports that they may be delayed up to six months from the latest possible date of July 2009 due to problems with the preparation of the vote.[3] However, on 2 April 2009, the electoral commission pushed the date back to 6 February to 21 February 2010[4] and results were to be declared on 27 February 2010.[5]. The elections will entail: national presidential and parliamentary, the south Sudanese presidency, state governors, the southern parliament and state assemblies. The voting will be early in the month so results may be fielded late in the month. The electoral commission released the date after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for President Bashir on 4 March 2009.

Date

On 11 June 2009, it was rumoured that the elections might be delayed for a short time once more.[6] This was immediately rejected by the government.[7] However, is was announced on 30 June 2009 that the election would be postponed until 5 April to 12 April 2010 after problems with the national census. The census results were expected early April 2009 but were not released until mid-May 2009; upon its release, the SPLM contested that Southern Sudan are a third of Sudan's total population while the census stated a much smaller number.[8] It is unknown if the Darfurian amalgamation referendum, due to take place in July 2010, will be pulled back to match the general election.

Census

A census, which is necessary for the election to be held, was initially planned to be held in July 2007, then from 15 November 2007 onwards, then delayed to be held from 2 February 2008 onwards due to funding issues.[9] It was again postponed to 15–30 April 2008.[10][11] On 12 April 2008, a few days before the census was slated to start, the SPLM withdrew from the census, stating that they wanted IDPs to return to their homes before the census would take place; this calls the timetable for the 2009 elections into question.[12] However, it was agreed on 14 April 2008 to start the census on 22 April 2008 instead.[13] It was finished by 6 May 2008 (with about 90% of the country covered by then; many people claimed, however, not to have been counted, but officials stated that in no state was the covering rate below 80%[14]) and results are expected in September.[15] Preliminary results released in early July claimed a population of about 38 million, with the most populated states being Khartoum with 6.5 million and Al Jazirah with 4.2 million; South Sudan had 3.8 million residents according to the census, which is strongly contradicted by estimates which put the population of South Sudan at least 11 million residents.[16] The full results of the census were to be released in February 2009.[17] The total population of Sudan was given as 39 million by the census, with (according to unofficial reports only) Khartoum having 5 million, Darfur 7.5 million and South Sudan 8.2 million. South Sudan had indicated it might boycott the election if the census gave them substantially fewer than the 11–13 million inhabitants they estimate to have.[18]

Electoral Law

The draft bill on the electoral law was being discussed in February 2008; differences remained over the proportion between FPTP seats and proportional seats, over the amount of seats reserved for women, and over how many votes smaller parties would have to win in order to gain entry into parliament.[19] The SPLM wants 50% proportionally elected and 50% therough FPTP, and it wants women to be given 50% of the proportional seats; the Sudanese government wants only 40% to be proportionally elected and wants a separate list of women-only seats, of which all would be given to the list with the most votes.[20] The election law was passed on 8 July 2008.[21] 60% of seats will be chosen in constituencies, and 40% (split 25% women to 15% general seats) by proportional representation; the proportional seats have an electoral threshold of 4%, candidates for presidential elections require 200 endorsements from 18 of Sudan's 25 states, citizens have to be over 18 years to vote and over 40 years and without a criminal record to stand in the election.[22]

The border constituency report was completed by the National Elections Committee in November, 2009. Some state politicians have appealed the report and their concerns have been printed in a report published on the National Elections Committee website. Despite these objections, it is likely that the constituency borders will remain.[23]

More from Wiki.....

[kitayabi]

if we had a moderator we could have made this thread a sticky

[Moie_G]

سير سير يالبشير
Albasher all the way

[Scraperlover]

im just wondering, what are the minimum requirements in sudanese law for someone running for president?

[chiefayic2]

One has to meet the signature and registration requirements outlined in the electoral law. For example, a candidate is required to collect 15,000 signatures in 18 of the 25 states in the country.

[King of Kush]

What happens if Yasir Arman (SPLM) wins the presidential polls and then the south votes for secession?

[chiefayic2]

There are about 12 candidates running for national presidency:

1. Abdel-Aziz Khalid (Sudan Alliance Forces)
2. Abdullah Deng Nhial (Popular Congress Party)
   
3. Al-Sadiq Al-Mahdi (Umma Party)
   
4. Ahmed Goha (Independent)
   
5. Fatima Abdel-Mahmood (Socialist Democratic Union)
   
6. Hatem Al-Sir (Democratic Unionist Party)
   
7. Kamil Al-Tayib Idriss (Independent)
   
8. Mohamed Ibrahim Nugud (Sudanese Communist Party)
   
9. Mubarak Al-Fadil (Umma Reform and Renewal Party)
   
10. Munir Sheik Al-Deen (New National Democratic Party)
    
11. Omar Hassan al-Beshir (National Congress Party)
12. Yasir Arman (Sudan People Liberation Movement)

While, South Sudan presidency is being contested by:

1. Salva Kiir Maryardit (Sudan People's Liberation Movement)
   
2. Lam Akol Ajawin (Sudan People's Liberation Movement-Democratic Change)

[chiefayic2]

Originally Posted by King of Kush

What happens if Yasir Arman (SPLM) wins the presidential polls and then the south votes for secession?

There will still be SPLM in the north.....and he will continue to be its leader. So, secession wouldn't affect his presidency....if elected.

[Scraperlover]

Originally Posted by chiefayic2

One has to meet the signature and registration requirements outlined in the electoral law. For example, a candidate is required to collect 15,000 signatures in 18 of the 25 states in the country.

i mean like citizenship issues. like in the united states where you have to have been born in the united states and lived there for a specific time.

[chiefayic2]

According to chapter 6 of the Election Law (Candidacy, Withdrawing Candidacy, and Appeals) section 1, when running for the Posts of President, President of Southern Sudan, and Governor.....The candidate must be Sudanese by birth, sound minded, not less than 40 years of age, literate, and not convicted of any crime involving moral turpitude. The article authorises the National Elections Commission to ask for any proof it deems necessary.

[chiefayic2]

Kiir Launches Campaign for GoSS Presidency

The SPLM candidate for the presidency of the Government of Southern Sudan Salva Kiir Mayardit officially launched his campaigns yesterday in the semi-autonomous region’s capital Juba.



Juba residents accompany Salva Kiir to the Dr Garang Mausoleum to launch his campaigns. [© Gurtong]By Juma John Stephen

JUBA, 25 February 2010 (Gurtong) – The ceremony that culminated into a gathering at Dr John Garang Mausoleum started with a huge procession from Juba stadium where a mammoth crowd accompanied Kiir, who is also the incumbent head of South Sudan’s government.

Kiir said he is working with the SPLM vision and mission to bring peace, freedom, development and prosperity, adding that he is committed to encouraging reconciliation among the people.

“The SPLM and I are committed and we are ready for South Sudan dialogue which we started in Kenya. I want to call upon the SPLM and the people to reach out to ourselves to reconcile”, he said.

He said his government is committed to development of South Sudan and said a number of tractors have been bought by the government to boost agricultural production.

“Farmers who organise themselves in groups will be given the tractors to assist them in tilling their land”, he announced.

He urged chiefs to continue guiding the people not to abandon their traditional values they fought for and pledged government support.

He said the constitution of South Sudan will continue to ensure that women are well represented at all levels of government, adding that women are the most marginalised group.

“If you vote for me we shall work on this and maybe we shall give women 30 percent affirmative allocation instead of 25 percent. To implement this we must ensure equal opportunity for girls and boys because if girls do not get education they will not even get 1 percent The freedom that we will give women is education so that women are not looked at as property”, he told the crowd.

He called for peaceful campaigns and urged political parties to keep off violence in the run up to the historic elections.

“I commend the political parties in South Sudan for directly or indirectly voting for me by not presenting a presidential candidate to challenge me. I want to assure all the political party leaders in South Sudan that the government will cooperate with them in all areas”, said Kiir.

He pledged to heighten the fight against corruption if elected, saying that all government officials who have been implicated in graft in the past will be prosecuted.

He announced that his current deputy Dr Riek Machar will remain in his position should the party emerge victorious in the polls and called for the people’s support.

“I feel honoured to be among the SPLM founding members who have survived up to this moment and I am working with the South Sudan army with my whole heart and promise to remain faithful under the guidance of the vision and mission of the SPLM”, said Kiir.

[chiefayic2]

No rescheduling for elections, Sudan president says

February 25, 2010 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese president and head of the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) Omer Hassan Al-Bashir emphasized today that elections will be held on time despite mounting calls by opposition groups that they be postponed.



Bashir, who was speaking at a rally of the female members of the Umma Party for Reform and Development (URRD) in Omdurman, said that the Sudanese people have the right to choose its representative through the polls.

He said that the western region of Darfur is now secure and stable which eliminates any justification for postponing the elections, noting that the 1986 polls were not delayed due to the war in the South.

The president’s remarks puts cold shower on demands by Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) chief Khalil Ibrahim to push the elections forward so that Darfur can participate fully.

On Tuesday, the powerful rebel group signed a framework agreement with the Sudanese government in Qatar that provides for a temporary ceasefire between the two sides among other things.

At a press conference in Doha, JEM leader said that most people in Darfur and Kordofan are displaced with no interest to take part in elections. He said that there needs to be time for peace to be realized and refugees can return home after which participation in elections can be evaluated.

Ibrahim stressed that holding the general elections in April will exclude 4 million people making it meaningless for the Darfur population.

On Wednesday, the Islamist opposition figure and leader of the Popular Congress Party (PCP) Hassan Al-Turabi called for the formation of an interim government even if headed by Bashir to prepare the country for the polls.

Turabi added that should a final peace agreement be signed in Darfur then that necessarily requires elections be delayed else it wouldn’t be right to have a political system that does not the people of that region.

Earlier this week the former Prime Minister Al-Sadiq Al-Mahdi and head of the Umma party said that it is preferable to push elections in order to give time for peace to be achieved in Darfur.

National Elections Committee (NEC) officials have so far given no indication that they are open to rescheduling.

Observers say that if elections are delayed then the earliest they can be held is in November following the rainy season in large parts of Sudan. However any such move will cast doubts over the 2011 self determination referendum in the South of the country.

The SPLM has vehemently refused any move to postpone the referendum process and many think tank groups fear a return to civil war should the self determination process be disrupted. However, many post-referendum issues have yet to be addressed particularly nationality, national debt, water agreement with the border demarcation process well behind schedule.

[kitayabi]

Originally Posted by King of Kush

What happens if Yasir Arman (SPLM) wins the presidential polls and then the south votes for secession?

the results should and would probably be recalculated to exclude Southern votes

[kitayabi]

The South is going to secede any way but its ridiculous that the SPLM think they can elect a vassal of Juba for us before leaving.

[kitayabi]

http://smc.sd/news-details.html?rsnpid=13801

[kitayabi]

[chiefayic2]

NCP launches electoral campaign in Jonglei capital

Saturday 27 February 2010

By Philip Thon Aleu

February 26, 2010 (BOR) – National Congress Party (NCP )officially launched his electoral campaign today in Bor town, the capital of Jonglei State. The NCP’s gubernatorial candidate, Joseph Duer, outlined the party’s manifesto in a gathering that attracted a huge group of expectants inhibiting one of southern Sudan undeveloped town.

Caretaker Gov. Kuol Manyang Juuk, who is the SPLM candidate for governorship, blessed the opening ceremony where he assured NCP and other parties of freedom of assembly and protection during the election period.

In a brief speech before leaving the rally venue in the vicinity of Maror market, Mr. Kuol said democracy is the reason his party, the former rebels Movement, fought for decades so that power is given back to the people.

The NCP flag bearer for Jonglei Governorship, Joseph Duer said, if elected, what has not being done will be made a reality. Mr. Duer outlined investment in agriculture, education and health sectors among others as priorities; winning a tremendous applauds from the crowd.

Road construction and extension of town water network are some plans Mr. Duer seeks voters to favor NCP.

Flanked by NCP contenders for state, regional and national parliaments, Mr. Duer also spoken about the necessity to live in peace in Jonglei state where inter-tribal clashes claimed nearly 2,000 lives and displaced thousands others in 2009.

On 2011 referendum in the south for self determination, the NCP’s hopeful says the choice belongs to the people.

The NCP rally is the first major election gathering in Bor town though national campaigns for April polls officially kicked-off two weeks ago. Sudan people’s Liberation Movement is due to launch it campaign on Saturday February 27.

April polls are first inclusive elections in the south since independence in 1956 and part of the comprehensive peace agreement (CPA) signed between the NCP and the former southern rebel; the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) in 2005.

(ST)

[chiefayic2]

Bakosoro launches gubernatorial campaign, pledges security

Saturday 27 February 2010

February 26, 2010 (YAMBIO) — Western Equatoria Independent Candidate has launched his gubernatorial campaign with a speech in which he pledged to build a peaceful Western Equatoria.



Photo of Col Joseph Bakosoro surrounded by truckloads of supporters - courtesy of Gift Friday (ST)

He began his official campaign with a pledge to end insecurity in Western Equatoria ravaged by LRA violence saying Western Equatoria farmers must return to their villages before cultivation period.

Col Bakosoro is considered by many to be the “beacon of hope candidate with a realistic chance of winning.

He, along with Jemma Nunu Kumba, the incumbent governor, is leading the race for the gubernatorial contest for the 2010 vote.

Bakosoro unveiled his election symbol as a cock which he said, cockcrows at dawn to awake people likewise he wants to awake people of WES to Security, Education, development, peace, Unity, Freedom and transparency which are the main issues in his manifesto.

A large crowd of supporters braved the afternoon temperatures in Yambio, Illinois to watch Col Bakosoro make his speech.

Church leaders of Catholic Church and the Episcopal Church in Sudan join the mammoth’s crowd.

He spoke to the crowd of his working life in the state over the last 20 years, first as a church choir, then as a military officer and finally as a Public Servant in a party which disowned him few days ago.

He said it was the lessons learnt watching the daily struggles many faced that had ignited in him a desire for change, "our man"

As he made the speech the crowd cheered and chanted his name.

Local observers in Western Equatoria estimated the crowd to be over 20,000 supporters who converged to hear from they waited for long to have a glimpse of him.

“This is the man, this is the people’s choice, this is our governor; his supporters shouted”

People were wondering why there was no sign of any campaign so far all over the state, some people believe that most of the candidates were busy doing ground work through their agents and that is exactly what took place today in Yambio.

Before the campaign could kick off, there was an order from the NEC that any independent candidate should not use the flag which up to now is called the SPLM flag.

Bakosoro had to go to the Yambio FM to apologize for using the flag while a senior SPLM member already went to state judge so that he issue an arrest warrant to rest Mr. Bakosoro. The state Government under orders of Jemma Nunu banned Col Bakosoro from using the Southern Sudan flag saying, "It is the symbol of SPLM party".

Bakosor’s supporters regretted the removal of the flags but the contender said he cannot keep them where they are.

Thousands of people turned up to see the man they have been waiting to see for so long. Old women, young girls, men of all ages walked all the way from Masiya to the freedom square and to Pazuo without being tired. More than 500 motorbikes, 30 cars and five 42 tone trucks took part in transporting people from various areas to the city centre.

Mr. Bakosoro thanked the traders for their contributions. He told the crowd who were in their thousands that as an independent candidate, he has no funds for his campaign and said the only funding is from his supporters who are mainly traders and even some government officials plus some individuals. He dismissed allegations that he is being funded by NCP or SPLM-DC.

Speaking to his supporters all the way from near by Nzara county, 15 miles, Li-Rangu Payam 12 Miles from Yambio town and small bomas around Yambio town, Bakosoro said “all people went, tried and have finally reached so now with them together, that is why I (he) has move from Juba as their call downplaying the threats of Political Bureau not to stand.

Bakosoro lamented that, he was born in church, grew in the church faith based family, and still a church person, with church characters for unity and love for the people.

Col Bakosoro says that, “The reason for my being independent is, in a party there is only one person who is selected to contest, but if it is not the choice of the people then they will also get their choice that is why you called me to stand for your rights, and I urge you to continue backing me as you remember the story of Jesus and peter when he was called to walk on the water, Bakosoro has not diverted from SPLM as sang today everywhere but CPA constitution say so.”

Col Bakosoro states that, the Political Bureau called on him to step down but, as people called and chose him, he is committed to stand because when 5 people say no and Millions say Yes Majority wins.

He is considering that his problem is citizens’ problem, to consider the future of their children, "it is your call if you make me fail, we shall all fail together and the future also will fail," he said.

He pointed out that, "Election is not violence or hatred, but Love and peace just like a football match, one (…), therefore if Bakosoro fails, he has to go home, if he wins he deserves the trophy, and the entire WES will celebrate and enjoy the success."

According to his Manifesto, he promised thousands of supporters that, the first priority is security which is the way towards development.

Farmers haven’t cultivated well in their own regions leading to poor and shortage of food in WES which used to be leading producer of food in Southern Sudan.

He appreciated the efforts laid by big business men in WES for their support, and promised to uplift business standards if elected and raise their standards.

Yambio and Nzara traders donated 7 motorcycles, 60 + cartoons of soft drinks, 3 drums of fuel apart from other counties to gear his campaign to the fullest.

He called upon his supporters to focus and forecast for 20-50 years ahead, "Bakosoro is for peace, transparency, we should not experience Kenyan Violence in WES, therefore no one should cause problem with any one unless you want [me] to fail."

As a consequence, students were so happy when he talked of education and security reflecting to their harassment during the CPA, and urged him to win and secure them from all the sufferings and mistreatment they endure from the current WES government.

(ST)