The Counting Commences

With the balloting process over, the tabulation of results from the Sudanese national elections began on Friday.  As of this morning, preliminary results suggest that the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) has comfortable leads in North Sudan.  While we wait for further returns, it is important to remember that the electoral process has fallen short of the international standards required for the elections to be considered free and fair.

In the early results from 35 districts across northern Sudan, President Omar al-Bashir had won between 70 and 92 percent of the vote.  Returns from across South Sudan appear to indicate that the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) is leading gubernatorial races in Northern Bahr-el-Ghazal, Western Bahr-el-Ghazal, and Jonglei states, as well as already being declared the winner of 27 uncontested parliamentary seats.  These are merely preliminary results and should not detract from the accusations of political manipulation and intimidation which occurred during the electoral period.

Going into the elections, the Carter Center, International Crisis Group, Human Rights Watch, Enough Project and others warned about the effects that the restriction of democratic space, irregularities in census tabulation and voter registration, intimidation of opposition supporters, and the withdrawal of major opposition candidates would have on the potential for the election to be considered free and fair. 

Reports from the elections appear to indicate that these concerns were validated, particularly as the European Union monitoring mission and the Carter Center stated that the elections fell short of international standards. The international community should not close its eyes to these charges, in order to prevent the further manipulation of the democratic process in Sudan.