Sudanese elections end with announcement of al-Bashir's win

by Fayez el-Zaki Hassan

KHARTOUM, April 26, 2010 (Xinhua) --

The Sudanese elections on Monday came to an end with the announcement that the incumbent President Omar al-Bashir was elected for a new four-year term in office, while President of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) Salva Kiir Mayardit won the post of president of south Sudan government.

Chairman of Sudan's National Elections Commission (NEC) Abil Alier announced at a press conference Monday that al-Bashir has obtained 6,901,694 out of the total 10,114,310 votes, or 68 percent of the votes.

Kiir, who only attended the elections in south Sudan, obtained 2,616,640 votes, or 93 percent of the total votes, while his rival Lam Akol Ajaween, president of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-Democratic Change (SPLM-DC), obtained 197,217 votes, accounting for 7 percent.

The announcement of the results of the presidential elections included 12 candidates, despite the fact that four of them have withdrawn from the elections.

SPLM candidate Yassir Arman came second after al-Bashir, obtaining 2,193,826 votes in spite of his withdrawal from the elections.

Candidate of the Popular Congress Party Abdullah Deng Nihal and candidate of the Democratic Unionist Party Hatim al-Sir got 396, 139 votes and 195,668 votes respectively in the third and fourth positions, but with a large margin from al-Bashir and Arman.

Candidate of the National Umma Party Sadiq al-Mahdi, who was former Sudanese Prime Minister, obtained 96,868 votes only, while his cousin, candidate of the Umma Party (reform and renewal) Mubarak al-Fadil al-Mahdi obtained 49,402 votes.

As for the leader of the Sudanese Communist Party Mohamed Ibrahim Nugud, he came last in the presidential race as he obtained 26,443 votes only, while candidate of the Socialist Union Party Fatima Abdul-Mahmoud, the first Sudanese woman to run for presidency, preceded Nugud and obtained 30,562 votes.

After the result, al-Bashir said in an address to the nation that his winning was a "victory for all the Sudanese" and vowed to be a president for all the Sudanese people.

In the address which was broadcasted by the government TV shortly after the announcement of the elections results, al-Bashir said that "the victory we have achieved is not for the National Congress Party (NCP) alone, but for all the Sudanese."

"I reiterate our commitment to mobilizing the energies to implement our program, with our hands and minds open for all the forces working under the constitution to communicate and consult to institute a national partnership to face challenges with," he said.

He added that "I vow to carry on with organizing the referendum in south Sudan and complete the Darfur peace."

He expressed "thanks for those who stood with us from the Sudanese people and also thanks for those who have opposed us. Failing to support us would not affect their citizenship because the president of the republic performs his duties as a president for all, and he is responsible for them. This is a fact I confirm, commit to and declare."

"I'm proud in the eye of the world of the civilized and respectful manner in elections that were free of violence and tension. My thanks for all the Sudanese people in the north and the south," he added.

He acknowledged that the elections faced difficulties, saying that "it is a huge and costly process and despite the technical and logistical challenges, it has been conducted in a credible manner that all the Sudanese are proud of."

The Sudanese president also thanked the international community and whoever contributed material, financial or administrative assistance to make the electoral process a success.

He praised the role of national and international observers who participated in monitoring the Sudanese elections, saying that " the international and national observers who participated in the elections have performed an important task that any free and credible elections need."

Al-Bashir was born in 1944 in the town of Hoshe Bannaga, 150 km north of Khartoum. He graduated at the military academy in 1967.

He was put in command of the Eighth Brigade in the south of Sudan during the civil war which broke out in 1983 between the government in Khartoum and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM).

He fought alongside the Egyptian army in the Israeli-Arab war in 1973.

In June 1989, with a group of middle rank military officers, al- Bashir, staged a coup against the elected coalition government of Sadiq al-Mahdi. He was supported by the National Islamic Front, led by Hassan al-Turabi, who later became his opponent.

The most prominent accomplishment of al-Bashir was the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) in January 2005 with SPLM late leader John Garang.

The CPA stipulated organization of general elections in Sudan and a referendum on the self-determination for south Sudan, to be held in January 2011.

Editor: Mu Xuequan

Elections results to reformulate Sudan's political map

KHARTOUM, April 26, 2010 (Xinhua) --

After results of the first multi- party elections in 24 years in Sudan were announced, observers said on Monday that the elections would reformulate the country's political map.

PROMISING POLITICAL STABILITY IN SUDAN

"The elections will lead to a more positive relation between the two parties different from the previous tense one, which will likely contribute to Sudan's political stability in the coming period," Professor Hassan al-Saouri, chairman of the Sudanese Society for Political Science, told Xinhua Monday.

The Sudan's National Elections Commission (NEC) on Monday announced al-Bashir's victory in the first multi-party elections in Sudan for 24 years.

Al-Bashir, candidate of the National Congress Party (NCP), received 6,901,694 votes out of 10,114,301 votes, or 68 percent in the general elections held from April 11 to 15, while the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) President Salva Kiir Mayardit won the post of southern Sudan government president, receiving 2, 616, 640 out of 2,813,83 votes in southern Sudan.

The NCP candidates also won the majority of the seats of the National Assembly (parliament) together with the post of governors in 13 states out of 14 in northern Sudan.

The SPLM, in turn, won 9 posts of state governors out of ten with the majority of the seats in south Sudan legislative council.

"The general elections will have their consequences, and if the two major parties, the NCP and the SPLM, form a coalition, they can rule Sudan for years," al-Saouri added.

Dr. Khalid Abdalla Ahmed Dirar, lecturer at Al Rasid Center for strategic studies in Khartoum, shared the opinion.

He believed the recent elections constitute a golden chance to bring back the relations between the NCP and SPLM to normal track as the former will extend its term for another four years and the latter will continue to rule the south.

"To achieve this objective, a consensus government should be formed by the NCP and the SPLM to include all political spectrums, " he told Xinhua.

Editor: Mu Xuequan

Elections results to reformulate Sudan's political map

KHARTOUM, April 26, 2010 (Xinhua) --

After results of the first multi- party elections in 24 years in Sudan were announced, observers said on Monday that the elections would reformulate the country's political map.

PROMISING POLITICAL STABILITY IN SUDAN

"The elections will lead to a more positive relation between the two parties different from the previous tense one, which will likely contribute to Sudan's political stability in the coming period," Professor Hassan al-Saouri, chairman of the Sudanese Society for Political Science, told Xinhua Monday.

The Sudan's National Elections Commission (NEC) on Monday announced al-Bashir's victory in the first multi-party elections in Sudan for 24 years.

Al-Bashir, candidate of the National Congress Party (NCP), received 6,901,694 votes out of 10,114,301 votes, or 68 percent in the general elections held from April 11 to 15, while the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) President Salva Kiir Mayardit won the post of southern Sudan government president, receiving 2, 616, 640 out of 2,813,83 votes in southern Sudan.

The NCP candidates also won the majority of the seats of the National Assembly (parliament) together with the post of governors in 13 states out of 14 in northern Sudan.

The SPLM, in turn, won 9 posts of state governors out of ten with the majority of the seats in south Sudan legislative council.

"The general elections will have their consequences, and if the two major parties, the NCP and the SPLM, form a coalition, they can rule Sudan for years," al-Saouri added.

Dr. Khalid Abdalla Ahmed Dirar, lecturer at Al Rasid Center for strategic studies in Khartoum, shared the opinion.

He believed the recent elections constitute a golden chance to bring back the relations between the NCP and SPLM to normal track as the former will extend its term for another four years and the latter will continue to rule the south.

"To achieve this objective, a consensus government should be formed by the NCP and the SPLM to include all political spectrums, " he told Xinhua.

GREAT CHALLENGES AHEAD

Al-Saouri said that "there are great challenges awaiting the two parties. They should find a peaceful settlement for the conflict in Darfur and set up necessary arrangements for the coming referendum on self-determination for southern Sudan."

The NCP and the SPLM signed the Comprehensive Peace Agreement ( CPA) in 2005, putting an end to a two-decade civil war between northern and southern Sudan.

According to the CPA, a popular consultation process is to be conducted at the Blue Nile and the South Kordofan States besides a referendum for Abyei area to decide whether these areas will stay inside northern Sudan or join southern Sudan after a referendum is held in the semi-autonomous south in January 2011.

The biggest challenge before the partners in the upcoming government is how to actually continue the implementation of the CPA, said al-Saouri.

They should complete the implementation of the remaining items of CPA, including the arrangements for the referendum in southern Sudan scheduled for January 2011, in which the southern Sudanese will decide the fate of the semi-autonomous region, he further illustrated.

Dr. Dirar believed that the coming government will inherit heavy burden from the current one.

"The most difficult issues will be those related to the post- separation arrangements for such matters as oil, border demarcation, the issue of nationality, the assets of the newly formed state, its debts and the relation between the two states ( in case the southerners opt for separation), as well as international agreements and others," he said.

UNITY TO OUTDO SEPARATION

"The two parties, according to the CPA, can keep Sudan united or form two separate states to live side by side in peace. All these depend on the form of relation to be established according to the coming government coalition," said al-Saouri.

However, he believed unity will outdo separation in the coming referendum, saying that "the domestic circumstances after the elections will not encourage separation, as the SPLM has got what it wanted. Additionally, it will also participate in north Sudan's central government."

"The regional circumstances don't encourage separation either, as the countries neighboring south Sudan do not want the south to secede which may cause instable fronts inside those countries to demand separation, too," he added.

Editor: Mu Xuequan