On Tuesday February 24, 15 Sudanese nationals started campaigning for a chance to head what was once Africa’s largest nation before South Sudan seceded. A whopping 8,748 candidates are hopeful of being the next representatives of the people when the final ballots are cast on April 13, 2015.
This is perhaps President Omar Bashir’s last stab at the presidency. President Bashir seems to have learned well from the electoral script of failures and challenges that have marked polls in neighbouring states like Kenya and has put in place structures and systems to mitigate against these.
A voters roll was opened in 2010 that has culminated in the registration of 13,335,470 voters internally and 94,614 in the Diaspora of the estimated 40 million Sudanese, according to figures from the last census.
The National Elections Commission (NEC) mapped constituencies at state level (24), except for Khartoum and Gzeera states which were given 42 each. While every state has 48 constituencies, Khartoum and Gezeera have 84. Therefore, the total number of national constituencies is 468, while geographically, they add up to 1,740.
On January 11, the candidacy for the presidency, women’s seats and National Council were also announced.
Noteworthy issues
So far, the NEC has received 8,748 applications for candidacy across the country from 23 registered political parties as well as independent candidates.
Noteworthy issues in this election are President Bashir’s call for National Dialogue through the 7+7 Mechanism that followed from the Thabo Mbeki-led mediation in Addis Ababa, led to a landmark sitting of 100 political forces and appointed seven members from Government and seven from the opposition to oversee the process.
The 7+7 Mechanism prepared a widely accepted roadmap that was later approved by the General Association of Parties that also went further to call for a general conference that saw Opposition, Government, armed rebel groups, and civil society.
This all-inclusive assembly sought to find common ground and entrench peace, address foreign relations, the economy and national identity.
In July last year, the presidency replaced the members who left the NEC after secession of South Sudan and those who had passed on to ensure the commission was properly constituted to handle the constitutionally-mandated national elections.
Free and fair
To ensure free and fair polls, several noteworthy local regional and international organisations, totaling 170, have been invited to oversee the exercise. Some of these are the African Union Commission, European Union, Sahel and Sahara Countries Organisation, IGAD, Organisation of Islamic Co-operation, COMESA, Arabic Parliament, African Center for Human Rights, The African Youth Union, the Arabic Parliament, among others.The 2015 elections in Sudan are one of many that will take place in Africa this year but Khartoum’s optimism springs from the improved relations with the rest of the world. Foreign policy breakthroughs have been registered with the thawing of Sudan-US ties following the shuttle diplomacy with the Obama administration, the Gulf states, notably Saudi Arabia and UAE, Asia, particularly Russia and China, the latter of which has invested heavily in oil exploration and drilling, agriculture and mining sectors.
Following the application by 18 candidates for the presidency, 15 of whom have already met the criteria, this would be Sudan’s biggest chance to prove to the world once and for all that it is home to a thriving democracy through expanded democratic space, re-statement of Khartoum’s commitment to peace, national and regional security and that the country is a serious and attractive investment destination.
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