As the faithful readers of this blog will know, the first multi-party elections in 24 years began today in Sudan. With Save Darfur, I will be continuing to cover the events closely.
Today, I was fortunate to have an op-ed published at Al Jazeera English:
“Things will be different after the elections,” asserted Ghazi Salahuddin, Sudan’s presidential advisor and chief interlocutor with the US, at the end of a meeting with a delegation from the Save Darfur Coalition of which I was part in February.
He expressed confidently to us that the national elections – the first multi-party elections in Sudan since 1986 – would fundamentally change Sudanese politics for the better.
Since that day, the credibility of the elections has been called into question by the withdrawal of candidates and the boycott of a number of opposition parties.
Rather than serving as a step forward in the long road to peace and democracy, many Sudanese now fear what a newly emboldened regime in Khartoum may mean for the country.
If you are interested in even more information on the elections, I would recommend the following two sites:
- Sudan Vote Monitor – an independent Sudanese civil society initiative to monitor events in real time
Also, check out this photo essay in The New York Times of a Darfuri community in Brooklyn that I know well. They are watching the elections intensely and hoping things remain calm.
Lastly, here is a photo essay from Pete Muller (whom I had met in South Sudan) on a young singer, Mary Boyoi, who decided to run for these elections.
UPDATES
- And an election song on YouTube by Mary Boyoi, the singer/candidate in South Sudan.
Great piece, Sean. You made an interesting point about the poll re: next year’s referendum. Do you have any more information about it (which groups it polled, how extensive it was, etc)? I’ve read pieces describing the internal power struggles within Southern Sudan, which have suggested that the referendum has less support among non-Dinka groups. Is that your sense, too?
Thanks. The article in Al Ray Al Aam didn’t provide any details about this confidential survey that Bashir cited. Instead, it just quoted him as stating the results: 30% for secession; 40% for unity; and 30% undecided.
There are certainly internal power struggles within South Sudan, but most factions seem to support secession to one degree or another. I think a greater split is between the SPLM Northern and Southern sectors, since obviously those in the North will remain a part of Sudan no matter what.