Displaced leaders asked to vote for Sudan’s ruling party

The commissioner of rural El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, has requested the participation of local leaders from Zamzam camp for displaced people in the elections, to vote for the ruling National Congress Party.

Commissioner Eisa Mohamed summoned twenty omdas from Zamzam camp, south of El Fasher, for this reason to his office on Tuesday. An activist in the camp told Dabanga that the local leaders were asked to vote for the National Congress Party (NCP) in the elections planned on 13 April.

When the omdas arrived at the office, Eisa Mohamed said that if anyone who was not a NCP supporter, should leave the room, according to the the activist. All the omdas stayed, as the commissioner talked to them about the anti-elections campaign 'Leave!' by Sudanese opposition groups. Finally, he asked for their support and vote for the NCP.

The omdas returned to the camp and told the displaced people that they are free to decide if they will submit their vote and to whom, or refrain from voting. The activist said that the commissioner “still forces people this way to come and vote for the NCP. We completely refuse to do so.”