Historic Votes In
Sudan Extended
Yemi Ogunnubi, Khartoum
Sudan’s
historic election in 24 years is in its second day with
increase in voters turn out on Monday and announcement of its
extension by two days.
The National Election Commission gave notice of the extension
after reports of polling delay in some areas as the complex
presidential, legislative and gubernatorial elections began on
Sunday.
VON correspondent reports that many women turned out to cast
their ballots, expressing belief that their voices would be
heard more as the polls are expected to transform Sudan from a
nation emerging from decades of civil war to a democratic state.
Calls for extension
Observers had earlier urged that the voting, scheduled to last
three days, be extended because polling stations in parts of the
north and much of the south had experienced serious delays on
Sunday and in some areas voting had not begun because ballot
papers had not arrived.
Sudanese election observers said: ’’They may well really need
to extend the period for these places where the materials
haven't arrived," said al-Baqer Alafif, head of one of the
largest Sudanese observer teams.
He welcomed a call by the main south Sudan party for extended
voting as many in the semi-autonomous south wasted hours
searching for the correct voting stations.
’’In the south because the materials haven't arrived in many
centres, some haven't even started voting yet," he added.
The call was re- echoed by Samson Kwaje, campaign head of south
Sudan's incumbent President Salva Kiir, who is also expected to
be re-elected. ’’We want four on top of the three days ... in
southern Sudan,’’ he said.
Technical problems
The elections and a plebiscite on independence for south Sudan
next year are key parts of a 2005 peace deal that ended a
two-decade-long civil war between Sudan's north and south.
The National Election Commission, NEC admitted there had been
some ‘technical problems,’ but blamed British and South
African printers for ballot errors and said voting had begun
well across Sudan.
A statement released late on Sunday by the commission said:
’’White Nile will be compensated for by extra hours of voting in
the next two days.’’
’’Apart from these normal technical problems, the reports
coming in from the south, Darfur and other regions of the
country are that the voting process is going well,’’ it
added.
Sudan's main opposition parties had announced a boycott even
before the polls began, citing widespread fraud and continuing
conflict in Darfur.
The NEC rejected their accusations that it was biased towards
Bashir's National Congress Party.
REUTERS/Yinka
