Sudan Elections
Commission Receives New Code
The
African Union Panel on Sudan has formally presented a new
Electoral Code of Conduct that would guide the scheduled polls.
The code was prepared by the African Union High Level
Implementation Panel (AUHIP) and signed by all the political
parties and contestants.
All the 26 political parties contesting the forthcoming
elections in Sudan, including the National Congress Party and
the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement, as well as the nine
independent gubernatorial candidates contesting elections in
Southern Sudan endorsed the code.
Provisions
The Code commits all signatories to abide by electoral laws, to
promote a fair electoral contest and to refrain from all forms
of violence and obstruction of other contestants.
While handing over the signed Electoral Code of Conduct to the
commission, former South African President, Mr. Thabo Mbeki, who
is the Chairperson of the AU Panel, said it was not meant to
replace existing Sudanese national legislation.
Mbeki told the Chairperson of the Sudanese National Elections
Commission (NEC), Mr. Abel Alier that the document was a set of
commitments entered into voluntarily and complementary to
Sudanese legal provisions, in order to ensure that the
forthcoming elections are free, fair, transparent and inclusive.
Monitoring support
Mr. Mbeki also briefed the NEC on the monitoring mechanism being
put in place by the African Union to assist the parties to fully
meet their obligations as outlined in the Code and to promote
confidence among the parties as they take another step in the
democratisation of the Sudan.
A team of election monitors from the African Union has begun
arriving in the Sudan, in order to begin working with the
political parties to establish the Political Parties’ Councils (PPC),
which will be the mechanism to resolve electoral disputes.
Mr. Alier, for his part, welcomed the efforts taken by the
African Union to assist the Sudanese parties to hold free and
fair elections in challenging circumstances and expressed his
desire to work closely with the AU election monitors and the AU
Election Observer Mission, which will also soon be deployed.
Still open for signatory
The Code remains open for signature at the AU’s Sudan offices by
any party or independent candidate.
Any party or candidate who is unable to sign the Code in person
may instead make a public declaration consenting to be bound by
the Code.
Mr. Mbeki also submitted to the NEC the signed Declaration of
Common Commitments, in which political parties reiterate their
support for the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) and for the
attainment of peace, justice and reconciliation in Darfur.
The African Union High Level Implementation Panel, AUHIP also
comprises former heads of state, General Abdulsalami Abubakar of
Nigeria and Pierre Buyoya of Burundi.
PR/Yinka
