S. Kordofan elections: Carter Center concerned over low voter registration
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By Julius N. Uma
March 29, 2011 (JUBA) - The Carter Center has expressed concerns over
low voters registration ahead of elections due in South Kordofan
state, highlighting steps, it says, are necessary for the conduct of
credible for the May 2 polls.
JPEG - 49.4 kb
Jimmy Carter, who heads the Carter Center addressing journalists in
Juba, South Sudan after the January referendum, January 19, 2011 (ST)
In a March 29 statement the center lauded the completion of the
registration process, saying it was conducted in a generally peaceful
environment.
A total of 642,555 people, according to the National Elections
Commission (NEC) were registered, with the figure said to be about
100,000 fewer than those who registered during the April 2010
elections. Overall, however, there were 1,463 registration centers
with the process manned by 110 mobile teams spread across the region.
According to the Carter Center, issues such as insufficient voter
education, long distances travelled by registration officials to
various locations in an attempt to reach as many eligible voters as
possible and logistical challenges were notable setbacks to the
registration process.
“The establishment of a limited number of registration centers may
have also contributed to lower registration figures,” the center’s
March 29 statement says.
It added, “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 center remains optimistic that the challenges observed during
voter registration will not compromise the integrity of the overall
process. It appealed to the NEC, the State High Election Committee
(SHEC), and other stakeholders to take up steps necessary to ensure
that all registered voters equally participate in the polls.
“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,” further says the March 29 statement.
It also appealed to the electoral body to 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. The process, the Center argued, will help
ensure that all registered voters have equal access to the polls.
POLITICAL PARTY AGENTS
During the elections, the Center urged, there should be wide
participation of political party agents from across the political
spectrum, as well as increased mobilization of domestic observers, to
monitor the polling process.
>From Jan.24-Feb.12, the Center observed voter registration in South
Kordofan, in preparation for the State Legislative Election scheduled
for May 2. In the process, the Center reportedly deployed six
observers who visited 67 voter registration centers in South Kordofan
in 19 of the state’s 32 constituencies.
(ST)
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