Sudan
Commences Registration Of Voters
The
people of Sudan have begun registering for the country's first multi-party
elections in twenty four years.
Opposition parties and Sudan junior government partner, the former rebel Sudan
People's Liberation Movement, have threatened to boycott the election unless new
laws ensuring democratic transformation are passed, including reforming the
powerful intelligence services.
Sudan's political parties are being urged to resolve their differences ahead of
the key vote.
Opposition parties said they were carefully monitoring the registration, which
started on Sunday.
A report says awareness has been low, with people trickling to the centres
across Khartoum to register.
Election officers said they had asked for larger posters to advertise
registration so people would partake in the exercise.
Sudan's mobile providers sent subscribers a message that registration was
beginning.
But while awareness in Khartoum was limited, the situation outside the capital
calls the exercise to question.
In south Sudan's capital Juba, centres opened late and officials worried tribal
violence which has displaced thousands would mean many would not be able to
register.
Sudan's NEC will have to register more than 2 million Darfuris forced
into miserable camps in Sudan's west after a rebellion in 2003 and negotiate
access to areas controlled by hostile rebel groups.
BBC/REUTERS/Yinka
