Sudanese Journalists’ boycott Federation elections

The General Federation of Sudanese Journalists today started its general elections, amid a boycott by the Sudanese Journalists Network (SJN) and the Journalists Association for Human Rights (JAHR). “We decided to boycott the elections because of the lack of integrity during the electoral registration,” Alaa El Din Mahmoud, member of the SJN Secretariat explained to Radio Dabanga. Feisal El Bagir, Secretary-General of the JAHR, described the elections as “an attempt to falsify the reality of the press and the will of journalists in the country”. “Fraud and corruption are more than evident in the electoral registration. The records contain names of security agents and public relations employees of government institutions, who have nothing to do with journalism. The number of people registered is higher than the number of the journalists in the country.” Dr Muhyidin Titeitawi, of the Federation of Sudanese Journalists, however, denied the accusations to Radio Dabanga. “The protesting journalists should have submitted an official complaint about the alleged fraud, instead of boycotting the elections. If we would have found non-journalists registered, we would have deleted their names immediately. ” Titeitawi added that the nomination of journalist members of the ruling National Congress Party was completed on time for the elections today (Tuesday), as well as the list of independent nominees. File photo: SJN members marching to the National Council for Press and Publications in Khartoum, in protest of the attack against Osman Mirghani on 20 July. (Radio Dabanga)