Sudan- Elections

Observers raise alarm over voting registration

Article published on the 2009-11-04 Latest update 2009-11-04 19:13 TU

A woman displays her identity card after registering for Sudan's first presidential and legislative elections in Khartoum, 1 November 2009
(Photo: Reuters)

International observers are raising alarm bells over the vote registration process which began last week and marks the countries first presidential, parliamentary and regional elections in 24 years.

The turn out has so far been low which according to local newspapers is down to the fact many people didn’t know where to register.

Jeffrey Mapendere, from the Carter Center observers team told RFI

“There are some general concerns regarding voter registration… We’ve notice that there hasn’t been a lot of information given to the public so that they can go out and register which is the most important thing because if people don’t know, or aren’t adequately informed about the voter registering process… it’ll be difficult to help people. “

He also noted that the accreditation of observers was also produced late making it difficult for observers to started working on the full elections and said educating people on how to register was crucial.

Both the Southern Sudan’s People’s Liberation Movement and President Omar al-Beshir’s National Congress party are at loggerheads over the quorum that should be recquired for the 2011 independence referendum to be valid.

This referendum is the central piece of the 2005 peace deal between both sides.