Carter Center (Atlanta)
3 November 2009
press release
In a statement released today, The Carter Center noted continued progress in Sudan's electoral process, including voter registration, which began Nov. 1, but expressed concerns about the obstacles facing election observers, including delays in finalizing their accreditation procedures and delays in election preparations, as well as continued reports of harassment of political party and civil society activity.
While Sudan's National Election Commission (NEC) has allowed national and international observation of voter registration, it must act immediately to accredit national and international observers as well as political party agents, and lift restrictions on observers' freedom of movement, so that they may effectively observe voter registration. It is also important for the NEC to clarify formally whether it intends to permit observation of the entire electoral process by all interested national and international observers, as the recently revised accreditation regulations do not adequately address this.
The Center is also concerned by the NEC's slow implementation of electoral preparations, including the delayed release of funding to the state elections high committees; unresolved operational decisions related to voter registration activities which have impeded effective voter education efforts; delays in the finalization of national, regional, and state geographic constituencies; and continued harassment of political party and civil society activity across Sudan.
Following the commencement of long-term election observation activities in Sudan in February 2008 at the invitation of the Government of Sudan and the Government of Southern Sudan, The Carter Center deployed 12 long-term observers based in five of Sudan's regions to assess the electoral process. The long-term observers come from eight countries: Cameroon, Canada, India, the Netherlands, Norway, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Zimbabwe. For the voter registration period, scheduled to last from Nov. 1-30, the long-term observers are being joined by an additional 20 medium-term observers to assess voter registration throughout Sudan, at both static and mobile registration centers. The Carter Center mission will observe physical registration activities; the initial publication of voter registry lists; the submission of complaints and objections to the lists; and the final publication of the voter registry. Field offices in Khartoum and Juba will continue to support and manage this observation mission.
The objectives of the Carter Center's election observation mission in Sudan are to: a) provide an impartial assessment of the overall quality of the electoral process, b) promote an inclusive electoral process for all Sudanese, and c) demonstrate international interest in Sudan's electoral process. The mission is assessing the electoral process in Sudan based on the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, Interim National Constitution, National Elections Act, and obligations for democratic elections contained in regional and international agreements, including the African Charter on Human and People's Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
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