Sudan: Carter Center Notes Concerns with Low Voter Registration
Turnout in South Kordofan
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Sudan: Carter Center Notes Concerns with Low Voter Registration
Turnout in South Kordofan, Highlights Steps Needed for Credible
Polling Process
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 28, 2011
* *
*The Carter Center Notes Concerns with Low Voter Registration Turnout
in South Kordofan, Highlights Steps Needed for Credible Polling
Process*
* *
In a statement released today, The Carter Center welcomed the
completion of the voter registration process in South Kordofan. The
process was conducted in a generally peaceful environment and the
majority of registration centers operated without major problems.
However, the Center notes several shortcomings that hurt the
inclusiveness and integrity of voter registration and resulted in low
turnout. This included the failure of the National Elections
Commission’s (NEC) to devote sufficient registration teams to conduct
a comprehensive voter registration process and create a new registry,
and the lack of appropriate voter education to ensure participation of
all eligible voters.
Registration was conducted by 110 mobile teams, accommodating 1,463
registration centers. According to the NEC, some 642,555 people
registered, approximately 100,000 fewer voters than during the April
2010 elections. While registration officials traveled to various
locations in an attempt to reach as many eligible voters as possible,
citizens were disadvantaged by a lack of sufficient voter education
announcing the anticipated registration centers and dates of
operation. The establishment of a limited number of registration
centers may have also contributed to lower registration figures. These
shortcomings were exacerbated by the limited participation and
mobilization of civil society and other political parties outside of
the two Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) partners, the National
Congress Party (NCP) and Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), to
conduct voter education and mobilization activities.
The challenges observed during voter registration do not compromise
the integrity of the overall process; however, the NEC, the State High
Election Committee (SHEC), and other stakeholders should take steps to
ensure that all registered voters have an equal opportunity to
participate in the polling period scheduled for May 2. The Center
wishes to highlight these concerns in order to provide lessons learned
for future voter registration exercises in Sudan and, where possible,
to identify specific areas where the electoral management bodies and
other stakeholders could take action to ensure the remaining stages of
the electoral process are more credible, inclusive and transparent,
and in line with Sudan’s national and international commitments.
The NEC should announce the number and location of polling stations in
a timely fashion and inform all registered voters of their voting
rights and the location of their respective polling station. This will
help ensure that all registered voters have equal access to the polls.
The Carter Center also urges the wide participation of political party
agents from across the political spectrum, as well as increased
mobilization of domestic observers, to monitor the polling process. In
addition, the Center would welcome the participation of additional
international observers given the importance of the elections in South
Kordofan for all of Sudan.
Finally, in light of Sudan’s commitments to ensure equal and universal
suffrage, the responsibility to ensure faithful implementation of the
CPA, and Sudan’s constitutional protections of freedoms of association
and freedom of expression, the Government of Sudan (GOS), in
partnership with representatives of the international community
present in South Kordofan, should continue to closely monitor the
situation in the state. In particular, in the lead-up to polling in
May, while recognizing that an election is a political contest, all
sides should recommit to working together to achieve a peaceful
interim process in the state.
The Center observed voter registration in South Kordofan, conducted
from Jan.24-Feb. 12, in preparation for the State Legislative Election
scheduled for May 2. The Center deployed six observers who visited 67
voter registration centers in South Kordofan in 19 of the state’s 32
constituencies. The Carter Center appreciates the timely action by the
NEC to provide accreditation to Carter Center observers, ensuring no
delay in observer deployment.
* *
The Carter Center will remain in Sudan to observe the candidate
nomination, campaigning period, polling, and counting processes of the
South Kordofan elections. The elections will be assessed against the
2005 CPA, Sudan’s Interim National Constitution, the National
Elections Act, the Political Parties Act, as well as Sudan’s
international treaty obligations. Currently, the Center has 12
long-term observers in Sudan to report on post-referendum processes
and to monitor the postponed elections in South Kordofan and Popular
Consultations in Blue Nile. The objectives of the Center’s observation
mission in South Kordofan are to provide an impartial assessment of
the overall quality of the electoral process, promote an inclusive
process for all in South Kordofan and demonstrate international
interest in the electoral process.
The Center’s observation mission is conducted in accordance with the
Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation and
Code of Conduct that was adopted at the United Nations in 2005 and has
been endorsed by 35 election observation groups. The Center will
release periodic public statements on referendum findings, available
on its website: www.cartercenter.org/
The Center’s full statement may be found at www.cartercenter.org
*####*
* *
*The Carter Center was founded in 1982 by former U.S. President Jimmy
Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, in partnership with Emory University,
to advance peace and health worldwide. A not for- profit,
nongovernmental organization, the Center has helped improve life for
people in more than 70 countries by resolving conflicts; advancing
democracy, human rights, and economic opportunity; preventing
diseases; improving mental health care; and teaching farmers to
increase crop production. For more than 20 years, The Center has
worked to improve health and prevent and resolve conflict in Sudan.
Please visit www.cartercenter.org to learn more.*
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