Sudan’s Presidential Election

Omar al-Bashir won re-election with 68 percent of the vote in Sudan’s first multiparty elections in almost 25 years.  The National Election Commission reported that Omar al-Bashir won roughly two-thirds of the vote.

 

The historic election was the first in 24 years in Sudan, which has been riven by fighting in Darfur and civil war.

According to a United Nations official, called the voting “A necessary step in moving towards democratic governance in Sudan.”

“The fact that it has come this far can be seen as a step forward in the peace agreement” signed in 2005 said David Gressley, UN resident coordinator for southern Sudan.

He also confirmed that two supporters of an independent candidate for governor in Unity State were killed in clashes in the state capital Bentiu on Friday.

International observers, including the United States criticized the elections because there were irregularities in many parts of the country.

Robert Gibbs, White House press secretary said in a statement last week that the elections were “an essential step” in the peace process.

He also said there were problems with the process,  Gibbs cited “reports of intimidation and threats of violence in South Sudan and the ongoing conflict in Darfur did not permit an environment conducive to acceptable elections.”

A leading political analyst said, the results reflect the divisions between north and south that continue to plague the country.

“Omar-al Bashir did very well in Northern states and it is not surprising that he did not do well in the Sough as he is not really well liked by the people in the South,” The analyst is not

authorized to speak on the record and asked not be named.

The election was a key part of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement, which helped end decades of civil war between the country’s north and south.

Source:  CNN