Sudan’s ruling party accused of rigging elections in Darfur

KHARTOUM, Wednesday

An international think tank has accused Sudan’s ruling party of trying to rig elections in war-torn Darfur region, as the country prepares for its first multi-party polls in 24 years.

The International Crisis Group said voter registers for the April 11 to 18 polls had been manipulated, constituencies based on a flawed 2008 census and the election commission staffed with too many pro-government officials, in a report released late on Tuesday.

Darfur has 19 per cent of the population of Sudan. President Omar Hassan al-Bashir’s dominant National Congress Party can expect little support in south Sudan, which has slightly more people.

“Winning big in Darfur is thus central to the NCP’s hopes of capturing enough votes in northern Sudan to ensure its continued national dominance,” the report said.

Unable to register

“According to national and international observers alike, many groups targeted in the conflict, especially internally displaced people, were unable to register (to vote) or refused to do so,” the report said.

“In many instances, people were deliberately denied sufficient time and information, while teams worked hard in remote areas to register nomads who support the government.”

The United Nations estimates the conflict which began in North Darfur in 2003 has driven more than 2.5 million from their homes, with some 200,000 refugees in neighbouring Chad. It estimates 300,000 have died in the ensuing humanitarian crisis.

Bashir is wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes in Darfur.

Most of those displaced fled North Darfur to camps in the west and south, the United Nations has said.

But the 2008 census found the population had increased in North Darfur and decreased in West Darfur. “The impact of the census is very significant,” the ICG said. “Western Darfur (was) allocated only fifteen seats in the national assembly compared to 24 for Northern Darfur.”

ICG said the mid-ranks of the National Elections Commission had been filled with NCP supporters, an allegation the commission has denied.

The NCP was not immediately available to comment on the report. It has previously dismissed similar comments.

The report said the international community should award no legitimacy to whoever won the polls.

Sudan’s opposition groups have said the conflict and emergency law in Darfur have hindered their campaigns there and some have asked for elections to be delayed.

Elsewhere in Juba, it has emerged that the junior partner in Sudan’s coalition government may unite with opposition parties to boycott the elections in the north to defend free and fair voting, a senior party official said on Tuesday.

On Monday, President al-Bashir warned former rebel group Sudan People’s Liberation Movement if it boycotted the election there would be no southern referendum on secession in 2011, heightening tensions in Africa’s largest country.

But SPLM Secretary General Pagan Amum dismissed Bashir’s warning, “In the case of northern Sudan, if the political parties boycott the elections in defence of free and fair elections in the north, the SPLM will join them.”

“He is threatening the people of southern Sudan to obstruct the right of referendum – this is a very dangerous position.”

A Tuesday meeting between Bashir and his deputy, SPLM chief Salva Kiir, was cancelled abruptly because Bashir’s party refused to add opposition concerns to the agenda. (Reuters)