SPLM Voices

Delay to referendum date non-negotiatable

splmvoices — Wed, 12 May 2010 13:06:10 +0000

The Secretary General of the SPLM, Cde. Pa’gan Amum last week attended a consultative meeting organized by the African Union (AU) where he laid out the SPLM position on issues related to the referendum.

“Any attempts to delay the referendum shall threaten the enduring peace,” Cde. Amum told the meeting. However, he also stated that:

“With this preparation and coordination by the continent and the international community, we can ensure not only a peaceful, free and fair referendum, but also a smooth transition that respects the right and interest of all those concerned.”

In short, the any delay in the referendum is non-negotiatable, and if all efforts are coordinated, then the referendum will go on well withouth incidences and the Sudan will continue to move on its path to total democratic transformation…

But the time seems to be running out! As the NCP continue to drag its feet in a classic delaying tactic kind of a way, a lot of issues pop up everyday that worry many stakeholders.

Read Southern Sudan’s Referendum Preparations in Race Against Time

May 12 (Bloomberg) — Time is running out to prepare for Southern Sudan’s Jan. 9 referendum on independence, a key part of a 2005 peace deal that ended Africa’s longest-running civil war.

With the start of the May-October rainy season that renders large areas inaccessible by road, President Umar al-Bashir’s government and the authorities in Southern Sudan have not yet set up the referendum commission that should deliver the initial voters’ roll by Aug. 31, according to the referendum law.

“In the past four months, they haven’t managed to appoint a referendum commission, and that’s not a very good start,” Eddie Thomas, the author of a report, Decisions and Deadlines: A Critical Year for Sudan, for Chatham House, said today in a phone interview from London. “Any delays to the referendum date are seen in many influential circles as non-negotiable.”

New SPLM-led government to involve other Southern parties

splmvoices — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 15:51:53 +0000

As the National Elections Commission (NEC) continues to delay the results of the 2010 elections in Southern Sudan, the SPLM has already started to plan the formations of the new government in preparation for the upcoming referendum in January 2011.

Although the SPLM is expected to win the elections at all levels by a landslide, the peoples’ party has promised that the new administration will be “inclusive and representative“.

“The Chairman of the SPLM, being overwhelmingly voted for by the people of Southern Sudan, will be making consultations to form his next government. His next government will be inclusive and representative… to some degree, we shall involve other Southern Sudanese political parties in government,” stated the Cde. Pag’an.

SPLMToday.com has the full story

SPLM wins Blue Nile State Governorship

splmvoices — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 16:08:15 +0000

The National Elections Commission (NEC) just declared Cd. Malik Agar as the newly elected governor of Blue Nile State.

SPLM Oyee!

Managing Success..

splmvoices — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 05:32:47 +0000

A head of the election results expected to be announced any time soon, SPLM member, supporters and victorious candidates have been advised to ‘manage success’ by remaing calm, reaching out to the citizens to explain the vision and plans of the SPLM ahead of the 2011 referendm.

SPLMToday.com has posted an official document (PDF) from the office of the Deputy Secretary General for Southern Sector, Cde. Dr. Anne Itto.

JUBA (Apr 20) – The leadership of the SPLM at the Southern Sector, Tuesday, urged its members to maintain peace, harmony and unity among the people ahead of the announcement of the results of the elections.

According to independent projections and data received by SPLM party agents, the SPLM is expected to win the elections in the south at all levels by a landslide.

“As we celebrate victory, remember that any democratic process results in victory and losses. In these elections, people have lost,” said Cde. Dr. Anne Itto, Deputy Secretary General of the SPLM at the Southern Sector.

She went on to appeal to the victorious candidates and SPLM members at all levels not to retaliate when provoked but instead to reach out to those who lost. She stress that the candidates and SPLM members need to now make the people understand SPLM’s plan for each of the states.

According to the open letter entitled ‘Managing Success’, all SPLM led state governments will ensure that the representation of all the people will be free and inclusive. The elected government will also provide security and prepare the people for the referendum scheduled to take place on 9th of January 2011 while simultaneously embarking on the policy of taking towns to the people.

The leadership of the SPLM also praised and congratulated all other SPLM leaders, candidates, party agents and supporters for their peaceful spirit, resolve and commitment expressed during the elections.

“..You have demonstrated to the world and those who doubt you that you have the ability to organize and govern yourselves, that the south is politically matured and ready to embrace democracy,” noted Cde. Dr. Anne.

The leadership of the SPLM is expected to hold a press conference shortly after the announcement of the results by the National Elections Commission (NEC). Today, NEC revealed that the results will be announced anytime soon, but no date has yet been set.

Boycott Does Not Prevent Arman From Leading Votes in the South

splmvoices — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 16:12:32 +0000

On Saturday, it looked as if Cde. Yasir Arman was going to take the presidential race in Southern Sudan, despite his boycott of the race. This is significant.

SPLMToday has posted a story on reports from polling stations in the South on the much talked about presidential race.

As counting of votes enters its second day, reports from party agents across southern sector states project the withdrawn SPLM Presidential Candidate Cde. Yasir Saeed Arman leading despite pulling out of the race for the presidency of the republic more than two weeks ago.

In some polling centers in Juba, Central Equatoria State, Cde. Arman consistently got over 200 votes while incumbent president and NCP’s Presidentia Candidate, Omer El Bashir, got less than 10 votes.

A similar trend is being reported at polling and counting centers throughout the South.

In the North, however, Cde. Arman predictably did not do well in a race he was never part of.

Results in the North Not a Big Suprise

From Sudan Tribune…

“Al-Bashir maintained a comfortable lead over his rivals scoring no less than 85% in the districts announced so far by NEC including foreign posts with Sudanese expatriates voting abroad. But the race was expected to be an easy one for Bashir after his main challengers, the Sudan People Liberation Movement (SPLM) candidate Yasir Arman and the ex-PM Al-Sadiq Al-Mahdi who is the Umma party chief withdrew from the race.

Voting Closes in Sudan; Let the Counting Begin

splmvoices — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 07:28:11 +0000

As voting in Sudan’s historical national election drew to a close on Thursday evening here in the South Sudan capital of Juba, voters were only trickling in at a snail’s pace. SPLM party agents throughout South Sudan reported very little movement in turnout figures from the previous two days of extended voting.

They also reported that during the two days, those places without ballots or with incorrect ballots did not receive corrected versions from their respective State High Committees on Elections (SHEC). Also absent were solutions in many states to the problems experienced with voter lists during the first three days of the elections. With voter lists either misplaced, inaccurate or missing altogether, many voters were unable to cast their vote for certain or all elections.

In Pageri, Eastern Equatoria State, Cde. Dr. Anne Itto, Southern Sector SPLM deputy secretary general, had witnessed on Sunday that there were less ballots than registered voters at polling stations in the locality. She notified the SHEC in Eastern Equatoria of this issue, but no additional ballots were sent as of yesterday afternoon – just hours before polling closed.

The voting exercise was historic and peaceful, but it may be remembered for the technical and logistical problems that hampered voters as they sought to cast their vote – for many, the first time in their lives.

On Thursday afternoon, during a her daily elections press briefing, Cde. Dr. Anne called on a continuation of the peace and calm experienced during the elections to also be practiced by voters, political parties, security, and candidates as the votes are counted and result reports are posted at polling stations throughout the country.

The conditions for the sorting and counting of ballots remain a major concern for all parties involved. With many polling stations set up under trees only demarcated by plastic barrier tape, weather and the integrity of this process is a worry. Additionally, the lack of counting space (tables, etc.) and resources (counting reports, etc.) can result in a count that does not comply with the standards set out by NEC regulations.

SPLM party agents will be keeping a watchful eye and report accordingly. As soon as we here something, so will you.

SPLM Responds to NCP Claim of Election-Related Killings in WBGS

splmvoices — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 06:10:12 +0000

During an election-update press conference in Juba on Thursday, Cde. Dr. Anne Itto, deputy secretary general of the SPLM Southern Sector, responded directly to accusations made by chief NCP official in South Sudan, Agnes Lukudu, who claimed that the recent deaths of individuals in Raja County, W. Bahr el Ghazal State, was the result of election-related violence carried out by the SPLA at the direction of or in collusion with SPLM.

Sudan Tribune reported that:

The SPLM Deputy Secretary General Dr. Anne Itto on Thursday issued a strongly worded rebuke of media that had publicized this incident. She said that five rather than nine people were killed and added, “Without checking their facts, Reuters inaccurately reported a claim by NCP that among the nine dead in Raja, included the local president of NCP. I spoke to him from Wau about two hours ago and I can assure you that he is alive and well.”

“A criminal investigation has been opened regarding these killings, which are not election-related. Such information has been independently verified by numerous sources to include election observers, and local police and government officials. Attempts by NCP to link SPLM to this crime of passion is irresponsible. It is also irresponsible for journalists to include such accusations in their reporting without exercising discretion over their validity,” stated Itto.

Meanwhile, Commissioner of Raja County Luwis Ramadan has confirmed that the killings were driven by personal motivation and not political. The Raja county official confirmed that the killings happened five days ago and he questioned the NCP leader’s motive for withholding the announcement until now well after the incident is over in people’s minds.

SPLM state secretary spokesman Cde James Deng Dimo affirmed that it has been confirmed that at least five men were killed in Raga County of Western Bahr-El-Ghazal State in Timsha Payam in Raja County. Deng explained that the fighting that resulted in the killings had no connection with the elections process nor even occurred near to any polling station there in Al-Timsha.

The official explained that fighting started when a solider who had spent six months away from his family returned back from where he was deployed and caught his wife with another man. And then the man who was away began stabbing with a knife the man who had taken his wife. When the news reached the relatives of the man who was killed, they began by cocking their guns and running to the place where their relative was killed.

He added that they began by firing guns at those who were there until they killed five people. “I have to repeat that the fight has no connection with the elections or something to do with political; it is between the military men over a woman.”

Dimo concluded that this incident has not affected the voting in Al-Timsha.

Voting Extension Does Not Necessarily Translate Into More Voters

splmvoices — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 04:25:06 +0000

CS Monitor reports that in Juba “unscientific counts by both foreign reporters and by the SPLM put percentage of voter turnout at most places between 30 percent and 60 percent by the end of the third day, with little turnout Wednesday. At some polling stations in Juba, only 20 to 40 of the 750 potential voters had cast ballots by Wednesday.”

The Sudan National Election Commission (NEC) announced on Monday that voting would be extended by two extra days. This extension was a “good start”, but it required the Commisssion to take action to address issues hampering voters – late opening of polling stations, overwhelmed polling staff, and misplaced, inaccurate or missing ballots and voter lists.

SPLMToday website reported that SPLM had filed a complaint with NEC on Monday, citing 17 different issues of election irregularities and violations documented during the first two days of polling.

The bottom line is that a voting extension can only make a difference if corrective action is taken to address the problems as well. Otherwise, the NEC is simply extending a voting process in which many voters cannot vote anyway.

Logistical problems hamper vote; NEC must take action

splmvoices — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 07:44:18 +0000

The logistical problems and technical issues experienced at polling stations throughout the South “was preventing hundreds of thousands of voters from taking part in the country’s first full election in 24 years,” Reuters reports.

The story quoted Cde. Dr. Anne Itto, deputy secretary general of the SPLM Southern Sector, who gave accounts of what SPLM polling agents are seeing. Agents have reported voters being denied the opportunity to vote due to inaccurate, missing or wrong voters lists at many polling stations, and ballots missing, misplaced, or candidate names missing or misspelled.

“The elections (in south Sudan) so far have been a slow process with many pockets of confusion and polling stations facing major obstacles,” Anne Itto, a senior member of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), told reporters.

Itto mentioned an area in the town of Torit where she said only two percent managed to vote on the first day and listed six other areas where she said the first day’s turnout was between three and 10 percent.

Cde. Dr. Anne noted during a press conference on Tuesday in Juba that she was encouraged by the determination of Sudanese voters to try and vote despite the challenges.

“I am encouraged to hear from SPLM party agents that, despite the many challenges facing them, voters continued to turnout in large numbers and voting was conducted in a relatively calm and peaceful manner. One thing is clear in these elections – it is that Southerners are determined to exercise their right to vote.”

As Day Four of the polling process kicks off, SPLM is urging NEC to take swift action to address remaining issues.

Claims of unfair conditions for elections confirmed

splmvoices — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 17:11:31 +0000

Three days into polling, claims made earlier by the SPLM and other opposition parties that the elections in the North were not free and fair were confirmed by actions in Khartoum since polling began on 11 April.

It is reported that over twenty thousand police forces have been deployed in Khartoum alone with a warning that “any attempt to protest or disturb the elections will be severely repressed.”

Another 100,000 security forces have been deployed across the country with the same orders to forcefully hamper any protests.

“What we are witnessing today bypassed the worst expectations on the running of the electoral process in the country,” Cde. Yasir Arman, the withdrawn SPLM candidate for the president of the republic, told Sudan Tribune on Tuesday. He added that electoral fraud practiced by the NCP is now quiet clear, leaving no room for doubt.

Arman said if he participated in the presidential race there would be clashes now between the security forces massed in Khartoum streets and the angry crowd.

“The boycott has served to main social peace,” he emphasized.

He added the security troops mobilized in the capital are more in number than the voters.

In similar remarks the head of opposition National Consensus Forces, Farouk Abu Eissa, on Monday echoed Arman statements saying if “we were participating in this election we would reject the security measures as result of our rejection of these violations,” he said, adding the withdrawal has spared violence in the country.