Honourable Abel Alier
Chairman, National Elections Commission
Khartoum, Sudan
AFRICA
Re: A Complaint to the National Elections Commission – Resubmitted
(Millions of Sudanese in Diaspora Disenfranchised)
We the Seven SPLM Chapters of Europe resubmit our ignored complaint to the NEC based on the rights enshrined in:
• The Interim National Constitution of the Republic of the Sudan, 2005
• African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights, article 13
• The International Convention on Civil and Political Rights
We submit that the National Elections Commission of the Sudan is in violation of the above stated laws due to its practices and actions toward the Sudanese Diaspora, including the restrictive identification requirement - accepting only a Sudanese Passport; the limited number of registration centres in the world, where in Europe we have two centres, with one serving all of Western Europe; and the lack of political parties as observers.
The CPA sets a requirement to amend all laws that do not promote democratic transformation in the Sudan prior to any election process, but the NEC continued to enforce the restrictive identification policy and other biased actions.
The NEC choosing such a limited number of locations as registration points and an absurdly short duration for registration to take place can have only one result: a low registration figure for Sudanese Diaspora, particularly us of southern descent.
Mainly, we do not agree with the strict identification requirement for registration. The requirement of a Sudanese passport as the only proof of citizenship in order to be registered to vote is a slap in the face for the Marginalized masses of the Sudan, most of who were born either in a refugee camps or village during a war-time situation, where such documents are nearly impossible to obtain.
Honestly, given the military strategy of the NIF by bombing public facilities like government offices, hospitals, churches and schools, many Sudanese have no documentation nor know their birth data. As noted in an earlier letter to the NEC, even the Chairman of the NEC himself does not know whether his birth date is 1933 or 1935. Such is the general case for many of the marginalized Sudanese, where many are forced to be born January 1, due to the lack of record-keeping, civil conflict or intentional destruction of public records. So clearly the restrictive identification criterion is unjust.
Additionally, the selection of registration/polling centres is indicative of a NCP strategy to maximise the locations where their potential voters are located, hence most of the sites are in Moslem- dominated areas while the NEC limited the places where their potential opponents’ voters are located. For instance, in western Continental Europe, there is only one registration centre, Brussels. This decision by the Commission infringes on the fundamental right to vote provided in the Interim National Constitution of 2005 (Article 41). Such practices create obstacles for Sudanese in the Diaspora to register and subsequently vote.
As people cherishing our democratic rights, we reject these politically-motivated and illegal actions and therefore demand the NEC rectify the disfranchisement of millions of Sudanese in the Diaspora across the world, by
• Allowing any official identification (Sudanese/Foreign) showing a Sudanese birth
• Allowing a registration period lasting two weeks, especially for Diaspora members.
• Allowing more voter registration centres in Europe, Australia, Canada, and USA.
And to the International Community: will nations hide behind the 15 million registrants figure? All know well the numbers for Darfur and Northern Sudan are inaccurate. And after the arrests in Khartoum this past week, water cannons, the beating of our leaders and supporters, is it not clear that the NCP is not serious about democratic change?
Can you, the purveyors of Democracy look yourselves in the mirror, after your departure/silence in Rwanda? Will you be silent now?
We ask again NEC for justice, the Rule of Law; after having killed millions of us, have we not paid, in blood, enough for our right to vote.
In memory of our Martyred Sisters and Brothers,
SPLM 7 - The Seven Chapters of Europe