S. Kordofan: Carter Center warns over poll violence, insecurity
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By Julius N. Uma
May 2, 2011 (JUBA) - As polls officially opened on Monday in South
Kordofan, the Carter Center expressed concerns over security
deterioration in the region, urging concerned authorities to ensure
“genuine and credible” process within the state.
JPEG - 23 kb
A Sudanese woman drops her vote into a ballot box during gubernatorial
and legislative elections being held in Kadugli, in South Kordofan, on
May 2, 2011 (Getty)
“Although the recently concluded candidate nomination period was
largely conducted transparently, efficiently, and peacefully, there
have been worrying developments during the campaign period,” the
Center said in its 1 May communiqué.
The Carter Center, according to the statement, remains particularly
concerned about armed conflict that broke out in El Faid, reportedly
resulting in dozens of casualties and the “tensions between rival
candidates in certain areas could negatively affect voter turnout,
impact the results, and therefore reduce the credibility of the
electoral process”.
A total of 642,555 people, according to the National Elections
Commission (NEC), registered for South Kordofan’s elections. This
figure is said to be about 100,000 fewer than those who registered in
the region during the April 2010 elections. Overall, there were 1,463
registration centers, while the process was reportedly manned by 110
mobile teams spread across the state.
South Kordofan was the only state in Sudan which did not hold the
referendum on schedule in April last year. The registration process
was conducted again after demands from the Sudan People’s Liberation
Movement (SPLM). Many groups from the Nuba Mountains in South Kordofan
joined the southern-based SPLM in their two decade civil war against
the Khartoum government. However, after the South voted for
independence in January as part of a 2005 peace deal that ended the
conflict, South Kordofan is set to remain part of north Sudan governed
by Khartoum.
After the elections, however, they will together with Blue Nile, hold
the long-awaited popular consultations to assess whether the peace
deal has addressed their grievances. The consultations will also
assess the relationship between the two states and the Khartoum
government.
The Carter Center openly appealed to leaders from the south and
northern governments, state authorities, political parties, and other
stakeholders to work together and devise mechanisms for peaceful
resolutions of tension in the region.
Specifically, it urged the southern regime to release one Telefon
Kuku, a gubernatorial candidate allegedly detained in contradiction
with the country’s National Elections Act.
“Despite flaws noted in regard to candidate nominations and campaigns,
there remains an important window before the start of polling for all
sides to commit to ensuring a genuine, credible election that reflects
the will of the people of South Kordofan” the statement further said.
The Carter Center, Sudan Tribune has learned, deployed 24 observers to
monitor 2 May gubernatorial and state legislative elections. These
include a core team of analysts as well as long-term observers who
have been in South Kordofan observing the voter registration and
campaign periods.
The observation mission reportedly represented 14 different nations
including Denmark, Egypt, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Kenya, the
Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Uganda, the United Kingdom, the United
States, and Zimbabwe.
(ST)
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