Justice Abel Alier
Chairman of the National Elections Commission
Khartoum-Sudan
Dear Justice Alier:
Subject: Rejection of the election results for CES
We, the undersigned citizens of Central Equatoria State, are shocked by the decision of the National Elections Commission (NEC) to declare Major General (Retired) Clement Wani Konga as the Governor-Elect of Central Equatoria State. We strongly condemn, denounce and reject your decision to unilaterally impose Clement Wani Konga as Governor of Central Equatoria State after the overwhelming election of Lieutenant General Alfred Ladu Gore.
The preliminary results of the gubernatorial elections in Central Equatoria State showed that Lieutenant General Alfred Ladu Gore had a commanding lead in the polls in all the counties except Terekeka, the home county of the defeated Clement Wani Konga. They also demonstrated the genuine wish of the people of Central Equatoria State to participate in the peaceful implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA). Your decision to impose Clement Wani Konga has seriously undermined the integrity of the National Elections Commission and your personal integrity as a lawyer, statesman and commitment to the principles of democracy and the rule of law.
We know that the results of the gubernatorial elections in Central Equatoria State were altered, changed or revised after the intervention of the authorities in the Government of South Sudan (GOSS). We are also aware of the conspiracy between your office and the SPLM dominant party in South Sudan to stop independent gubernatorial candidates from election in South Sudan. This is a classic case of collusion in electoral fraud between what is supposed to be an independent National Elections Commission and the executive form of government which, in this case, happens to be the Government of South Sudan.
We condemn, denounce and reject your decision to impose Clement Wani Konga as Governor of Central Equatoria State because his opponent, Lieutenant General Alfred Ladu Gore had a commanding lead in the polls in all the counties except Terekeka, the home county of the defeated Clement Wani Konga. Equally, we condemn the actions of some SPLM and GoSS leaders hiding behind your office to use NEC for corrupt practices of democracy in Central Equatoria State amongst others. The results of the polls in Terekeka have not been declared and, even if Clement Wani Konga had statistically secured all the votes in Terekeka, he could never win.
Reports from the Sudanese Group for Democracy (SUGDE) and Sudanese Network for Democratic Elections (SUNDE) indicate that the “electoral process did not meet the citizen's expectations and failed to fully embrace democratic principles at the polling stations observed.”
SUNDGE and SUNDE uncovered, amongst others, that:
• Independent observers were barred from the vote counts
• Independent observers were routinely arrested and detained in Central Equatoria State
• Soldiers were deployed to disperse voters sympathetic to the independent gubernatorial candidate and observers from polling stations in Terekeka County
• Reports on intimidation and observer obstruction were all ignored by the authorities
• Observer and agent obstruction by the authorities was widespread
• The vote counts in Central Equatoria State were frequently interrupted by the authorities(a violation of NEC's guidelines)
The manner by which the elections were conducted in Central Equatoria State did not meet the fundamental requirements of a democratic process because it was marred with the random detention of party agents, independent observers, voters and intimidation by the authorities. These actions do not in any way conform to the requirements of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, South Sudan Interim Constitution and Sudan's National Election Act 2008.
The forceful imposition of the defeated candidate, Clement Wani Konga, as Governor of Central Equatoria State has heightened tension and deepened suspicions about the intentions of GOSS in the State. It has undermined the integrity of the National Elections Commission and its ability to conduct a free and fair referendum after the disastrous elections. GOSS and NEC have clearly imposed a military governor and martial law in our peace loving state. It is almost impossible for the Military Governor to work with people who had decisively decided that they wanted a change in leadership.
Justice Abel Alier, you know as well as we do that the legitimate Governor-elect of Central Equatoria State is Lieutenant General Alfred Ladu Gore. He is the person we have chosen to lead us for the next five years. To our disappointment, you have decided to impose Clement Wani Konga against the will of the majority of our people. This decision has also created and imposed conditions where the legitimate Governor, Alfred Ladu Gore, is held incommunicado for his safety? How could the people's Governor-elect be in threat after when he had appealed for calm following the imposition of the defeated Clement Wani Konga?
As citizens of Central Equatoria State, we demand that you:
1. Revoke your decision to impose Clement Wani Konga as Governor-elect of Central Equatoria State and
2. Reinstate the legitimate Governor-elect of Central Equatoria State immediately.
Your prompt action will bring peace, tranquillity and a full cooperation of the people of Central Equatoria State with GOSS and NEC. However, we cannot predict what might happen if you decide to sustain the despicable decision to impose a military governor on the people of Central Equatoria State.
We hope that your professional integrity will prevail on this occasion.
Signed by:
Cc
President Barak Obama
The White House, Washington DC
The Secretary General
United Nations Organisation, New York
The Secretary General
African Union, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
The Secretary General
IGGAD, Nairobi Kenya
President Jimmy Cater
The Cater Centre, Atlanta, Georgia, USA/Khartoum, Sudan
Norwegian Prime Minister ,
Oslo, Norway
EU President,
Spain