In response to calls from the Sudanese People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) and other parties, the National Electoral Commission (NEC) agreed to extend the voting period an extra two days – so voting will now conclude on Thursday, April 15th. The SPLM had requested a four-day extension over concerns that the first day of voting was a “wasted day” due to logistical and electoral challenges, which led to NEC to acknowledge “mistakes.”
The second day of voting in Sudan proceeded much as the first, although reports indicated it was somewhat more organized. Fuller reports came out about the depth of the difficulties facing voters and the electoral process, including ballots arriving late to polling stations; insufficient numbers of ballots; polling stations opening late; typographical errors or omissions on ballots; incorrect party symbols on ballots; missing names on voter registration lists; political parties unable to monitor voting in some locations; same-day registration of voters (which is illegal); and problems with the ink designed to prevent voters from voting multiple times.
Shamseddin Dawalbeit, the deputy head of Tamam, an alliance of more than 100 civil society groups monitoring the polls said, “it’s quite clear that these violations were very serious ones . . . these violations are being repeated systematically.”
There have been no major reports of violence, although there have been some reported incidents of voter intimidation by security forces.
Election Links
Analysis/Opinion
- ACJPS Condemns Violations of Electoral Procedure in the First Day of Voting – African Center for Justice and Peace Studies
- Sudan vote fiasco – Hoda Abdel-Hamid at Al Jazeera English
- A wasted first day in south Sudan – Hoda Abdel-Hamid at Al Jazeera English
- Sudan’s “foolproof” elections – Africa News Blog – Reuters
- Why I wont vote (warning: graphic language) – The Sudanese Thinker
- Open Elections in Sudan? Hardly – Michelle at Change.org
- The NEC and the First Day of Polling – Mohamed Hafiz at Making Sense of Darfur
- This is not an election – Gigglingbob
- Sudan elections: the First day of elections in 24 years – Sudanese Guardian
Summaries and Facts about Elections
- Summary: First Day of Sudan Elections – Sudan Vote Monitor
- Polling begins and Omar Al Bashir Votes (Video) – UN Mission in Sudan
- Salva Kiir Votes in Juba, Sudan (Video) – UN Mission in Sudan
- PHOTOS: First day of Sudan’s general elections – Sudan Tribune
- FACTBOX: List of irregularities reported by opposition in Sudan’s first day of elections – Sudan Tribune
Headlines
- With Outcome Foretold, Sudanese Elections Begin – New York Times
- Sudanese call for voting extension after poll delays – Reuters AlertNet
- Sudan extends voting for two days after delays – Reuters AlertNet
- Snags hit first day of voting in Sudan – Agence France Presse
- Sudan vote smoother on second day after chaotic start – Agence France Presse
- Chaotic scenes in historic Sudan election – CNN
- Confusion as Sudan voting continues (with video) – Al Jazeera English
- Sudan’s landmark polls off to an uncertain start – BBC News
- Sudan Vote Begins as South Seeks Autonomy – Wall Street Journal
- Poll Observer: First Day of Sudan Voting was Peaceful – Voice of America
- Sudan election: Voters savor a tiny taste of democracy – Christian Science Monitor
- Confusion, chaos marks first day in Sudan elections, opposition allege fraud – Sudan Tribune
- Few voters in Darfur, first election day in Sudan very quiet – Radio Dabanga
- UNAMID: Darfur is calm as voting begins (with audio) – Miraya FM
- SPLM accuses Sudan electoral board of incompetence, partiality – Sudan Tribune
- Ink is easily removed – Al Ayyam (via UNMIS)
- “We have noted problems on the first day of polling” – NCP – Al Sudani (via UNMIS)
- Three candidates withdraw over voting irregularities – Rai Al Shaab (via UNMIS)
- Chaos Mars Sudan Elections – The New Vision (Kampala, Uganda)
- NEC recognizes mistakes in 26 polling stations (Arabic) – Al Sahafa
- Arman: results of the elections will exacerbate the national crisis (Arabic) – Al Sahafa
- Turabi: confusion and irregularities in the voting process (Arabic) – Al Sahafa
- Civil Society organizations call for the postponement of elections (Arabic) – Al Sahafa
- Six candidates, including three independents, pull out of the race (Arabic) – Al Sahafa
- Presidential candidate could not find a card to vote at his center (Arabic) – Al Sahafa
- Alier alludes to the possibility of reviewing the time of voting(Arabic) – Al Ray Al Aam
- 5 cases of fainting at polling stations (in Khartoum State) (Arabic) – Al Ray Al Aam
- Large number of voters in first day of voting (Arabic) – Al Ray Al Aam
- Turabi: the current election is not perfect or ideal (Arabic) – Al Ray Al Aam
The opinions expressed here are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of the Save Darfur Coalition.
Tags: Carter Center, Human Rights, NCP, SPLM, Sudanese elections, Tamam, Voter Registration
