Darfur Bar, rebels denounce ‘rigged election results’

The general election held in Sudan between 13 and 16 April was marked by widespread fraud, according to the Darfur Bar Association (DBA). The Sudan Liberation Movement led by Minni Minawi (SLM-MM) also criticised the electoral process.

In a statement on Tuesday, the DBA confirmed that the majority of the Sudanese had boycotted the presidential and parliamentary election, saying that it was characterised by “forgery, illegal filling of the ballot boxes, voting for others by people not registered at the electoral constituencies, and the use of names of deceased people.

“The ignoring by the National Election Commission (NEC) of the many violations during the electoral process constitutes a non-compliance with the Election Act and its regulations,” the Darfur lawyers stated.

They also pointed out that the voter percentage announced by the NEC contradicts preliminary figures of the voting results reported by constituencies in most of the Sudanese states. “The contradicting percentages indicate that the NEC is involved in the forgery.”

The Bar praised the statements of the EU, the Sudan Troika (Norway, UK, and the USA), and Canada, in which they said that the election was held in a non-conducive environment and did not represent the will of the Sudanese people. The lawyers called upon them not to recognise the outcomes of the election.

Relations with international community

According to Abu Obeida El Khalifa, Deputy Chairman of the SLM-MM, the election was “far from national. It was an internal operation of the ruling National Congress Party”.

He told Radio Dabanga that the “anti-election Leave! campaign has truly been successful. The poor voter turnout has revealed the real size of the ruling regime, and its isolated position. This and the clearly rigged election results have opened the door between the Sudanese opposition forces and the international community.”

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