Frost over the World in Sudan

Updated: on may-5-2010

     an interesting debate and a good comparison between Congo election and the Sudanese election by Jendayi Frazer. Thank you Sir David Frost and i hope you make more of these debate on Aljazeera. I wish Jendayi Frazer had to chance to talk more about the Congo election’s. while watching the clip i just hoped that Sir David would give her more time to talk more about the election interim of African being able to execute a legitimate election when the tools and mechanism are supported and used. The excuse that this election was done in a country that had not had an election for 24 years is not strong, Congo election is an example, she point out that in this clip too. The excuse that Sudanese people don't know about democracy or democratic change by the Sudanese debater is not strong either. lets just be clear before this government and the one before it that rule for 16 year under a dictatorship rule of numari with his inhumane communist ideas, Sudan was implementing democratic policies at a good speed. Sudan had election in the past, and that election to a large extent was a free and fair election although they wore not covering the all of Sudan which by the way this one also doesn't they served as a mechanism to educate the Sudanese people about the right to vote, the right to voice their opinion and the right to choice their leader, they also helped steer Sudan into democratic change and that intern helped the economy in what we Sudanese people know as the democratic times or party ruling time. which wore unfortunately not for a long. Well I let you watch the clip and tell me what you think.

 

please feel free to comment on your thoughts and opinions.

Folks it is official, YouTube blocked in Sudan Again.

well it is official, the news has been circulating around the net for a while. it is official. what would you expect from the NTC after the fallowing clip has been shown in YouTube?, this is not the first time they blocked YouTube, they blocked it before in 2008. it is normal in state such as Iran, China, Sudan to control there media heavily and that is what we would always expect from such states. when Iran had its long demonstration revolt last year due to it’s election, it was interesting to see how twitter played a major roll as a communication tool between Iranian people themselves and the outside world. but then Iran blocked the website and stop any one from accessing it in Iran. an interesting cartoon that has been circulated on the net is shown below, it is about the usage of twitter in the post Iranian election demonstration and how technology is now empowering people to speak up.

He’s twittering, (who is reading, The world is reading)

the question i would like to ask is Sudan a step ahead of Iran and want to block all these social media sites before announcing the winner of this election?, that could be possible. but that wouldn't stop this clip or even other clip from spreading on the net, these government should know that blocking these social media sites would not stop people from viewing clip on the net or stop them from voicing the thought about it. the video could be circulated even now throughout the net by email or even in Sudan by Bluetooth enabled devices and much, much more. the fact is technology is changing the way we communicate with each other and on the other hand it is empowering people everywhere to speak up against injustice acts around the world and to voice there opinion loud and clear for the world to hear (read).

the news article stated that this action by the NTC is due to the leaking of a clips showing stuffing of electoral ballots, in what the opposition party say a clear evident of how the current election has been rigged. the clip shows electoral ballots being stuffed with ballots forums in what seems to be a polling site located in the red sea state of eastern Sudan.

here are the sources.

Sudan reportedly blocks YouTube over electoral fraud video

Sudan opposition claims video shows election fraud

Rattansi & Ridley interviews Hassan al-Turabi and Ibrahim Ghandour

an interview between Rattansi & Ridley and Hassan al-Turabi and Ibrahim Ghandour  on there perspective on the election. just an updated about the current opinion of the opposition parties and the national congress party on the election.

feel free to comment.

My First Post in Global voices online, a start for many to come

yesterday i was able to post my first post in Global voices online website, it is by far the best site to read from about deferent people opinion and perspective and i am very honored to be part of the citizen journalism revolution that GV is leading. here is the link to the post “First GV post my Mahid (Sudanese Guardian)” i would like to thanks all the Sudanese blogger for blogging about the election and letting us read there thought and comments. thank you a lot.  thank you blackkush and Sudanese thinkers for your post and for shearing it on the net.

Sudan: Polling period extended for two days

after much confusion and disarray in the polling process, the NEC has decided to extend the election period for 2 days, i am sure that would not help fix the problems that the election is facing but it might help those waiting in line to vote and give them more time to do so. for sure this would not help mitigate any of the opposition party compliant and problems.

  in the clip in 2:05 Mr. Hafz point out an important issue and that is when those opposition party that withdraw from the election have with draw themselves they didn't tell there support what they should do from now on, they just keep silent, which makes it really frustrating to see, they the opposition parties should at least arrange a peaceful demonstration calling on and demanding change and asking for a more fair and free election and the postponing of the election time. even if the election was to start tomorrow, they should have done something at least. 2 day tell the end of this so called election, lets wait and see what the result could be..

feel free to comment on you thought or give some suggestion.

Sudan election: the First day of election in 24 years.

The Sudanese election has started yesterday the 11 of April, after 24 years of totalitarianism government ruling. the Sudanese youth are for there first time in 24 years experiencing an election, lets just not forget that it is not a fully free and fair election. but with all of this comes lots of complexities, poll ballot not arriving on time, poll areas not opening on time and much, much confusion and disarray in the air, lets not forget the illiteracy rate that is in Sudan 40% of the population and poll ballots being confuse as they are , i have even heard it took an educated average adult 20 minute to understand the process. with all of this  an important issue immerges, less then half of the population have registered to vote for this election the other half might be located in war torn areas such as darfur or areas out of reach of the ballots polls. these 16 million register voter they must vote for atleast 8 vote ballots.

“Sudanese voters each have to cast at least eight votes on different ballots. The Southern voters each have 12 votes to fill in on separate ballot papers. So the 12 million Northern voters will potentially fill in 104 million ballots. The 4 million Southerners will have to tick another 50 million votes on separate forms to be put in separate ballot boxes. Potentially, there could be up to 150 million votes to count. It will be the first elections for Southern Sudan since 1953. Altogether there are 17,000 candidates running for office. None of them are permitted to contest for two positions simultaneously.”

source: http://radiodabanga.org/?p=12143

with all of these problems facing this election the NEC is pushing to make this election as legitimate as possible or that what they say they want.!!!

there has also been problems facing people, such as taking long time to understand the process or even understand the process in the specified time of 3 min for every voter.

with the second day starting, we will see more of news emerging about the process of election in Sudan, i hope that they continue concentrating on the legitimacy of this election tell the end of the election period. feel free to comment  or tell me what you think of the process and how it is going.

Riz Khan Ignoring Sudan- interviewing General Scott Gration

an interesting interview with Scott Gration Special Envoy to Sudan  and michael gaouette head of sudan team at UN HQ .  the interview take on a interesting curve especial in  3:45 to 6:05 and in 7:30 to 8:30 so for sure justice is guaranteed to be served it just matter of time and democratic changes :)

 

 

feel free to comment and tell me what you think.

Sudan opposition seek poll delay.

delaying the election is still a debatable issue, it is going to be an interesting year.

Please take the moment to participate in the poll found on your right side bar.

Carter Center says Sudan elections process at risk

hello everyone, here we go

March 19, 2010 (KHARTOUM) – The Carter Center issued a preliminary statement on the final stages of Sudan’s electoral process saying the process "remains at risk on multiple fronts including the ability of candidates to campaign freely" and the potentially negative impact from delayed logistical preparations.

i kind of sense that this election would be postponed, now that all of these news article are showing up, like the one above i think that might be an inevitable choice for the Sudanese people.

also

In a dramatic statement, the Carter Center said "it is increasingly unclear if the NEC can deliver a successful election on time," citing limited NEC and UN transportation capacity, the massive volume of materials to be deployed, the re-packaging of materials necessitated by changes in the planned number of polling stations, voters per polling station, and delays in ballots production.

now this tells me that thing are not going well and postponing the election is going to be for a big change in the NEC commission.

also don't forget this article Sudan opposition want elections moved to November, slams UNMIS official

which state

March 13, 2010 (KHARTOUM) — A number of presidential candidates in Sudan has jointly called on the April elections to be postponed by seven months till next November and submitted a proposed formation for the National elections committee (NEC).

The Umma Party runner for president Al-Sadiq Al-Mahdi hosted a meeting at his residence in Omdurman agreed on steps that need to be taken for achieving democratic transformation and establishing an "impartial" board to monitor the work of the NEC in terms of administration and finances, creating a body consisting of presidential nominees with rotating head, rescheduling elections to resolve a number outstanding issues.

just when i thought thing are getting on track it seems it is not, after talking to some Sudanese friend of mine i also got the same impression that this election is not going to be in april, but i guess that just people opinion that fact has not been yet state clearly.

but as always there are others who think differently

 

lets wait and see.

Salam :)

Upcoming Sudanese election and The Compressive peace agreement Past, Present and the Future expectation

a debate between SPLM and the NCP ruling parties of the Sudan has been broadcasted in Aljazeera channel Inside story, both are main partner in the CPA Compressive peace agreement. Both agreed to stay in power for the years from 2005 to the upcoming election year in 2010, this in which there would be a democratic election to elect the new government. the debate talks about the result of the census, electoral law and the CPA agreement. i have posted a post about the census previously because i think this might cause a problem in the future because there is no full agreement as to the legitimacy of the census from the SPLM side. keeping in mind that the census effect the future distribution of power and wealth distribution. hence the argument of it legitimacy from the SPLM party.

the debate touches on key points in the CPA agreement but the main point i think is that the need to include other parties that are part of the National alliance to try to resolve the situation for the upcoming next year election. it is clear that both side is trying to get the best of the CPA agreement but there is an important point that is overshadowed by this agreement which is the absent of other political parties in Sudan and the Darfur conflict that is still in need to be resolved.these upcoming month are crucial times for the peace process and for the upcoming election in 2010.

PS: feel free to comment.

Sudan: 17 parties calls on a New Government

The National Alliance which is lead by the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) and the Umma Party had lead a group of 17 Sudanese political parties, under the banner of The national alliance demanding the Sudanese government to step down and calling for the establishment of a transitional government that would lead the country to the next phase of the Compressive peace Agreement, which is the election phase in the agreement.The demand is for the government to completely step down of its current position and the reestablishing of a national transitional government that would take in charge of the nation until the next election dated February 2010.

Sudan National Assembly Parliament

The national Democratic Alliance also known as National Alliance was formed in 1989 with the objective to oppose the present led government of National Congress party. Ever since it establishment the national Democratic alliance has been pushing for more reforms in Sudan in terms of Human right,democratization of press and the fair distribution of Wealth and power in Sudan. I believe that the The National alliance action led by the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) and the Umma party requesting the government to step down preparing for the election in 2010, would not only put more pressure on the current government to reconsider it position and it policy toward the current situation in Sudan, but it will also straighten the national alliance position in the national assembly hall concerning the new law on journalism that i have written about in my blog (click here to read about it). i hope this put more pressure on the law maker not to release the law and more pressure on the current government to reconsider it policy.I firmly believe in Sudan and it potential and i know it takes time, time that we need to use in building a better and bright future for Sudan and for our generation and the next generation. feel free to shear you thoughts and comments on this article or this issue.

News article in the same topic: Sudan Tribune

Technorati Tags: Sudan,Election

Sudan Population census decided but dose everyone agree!!!!

Here we go again with the debates!!!!!

(Source)

Recently Sudan population census has been decided to be around 39,154,490 but it seems that there is a lot of controversial issues arising from this census.

a very informative Article From Sudan Tribune states

The total of Sudan’s population is 39,154,490, with 8,260,490 living in the south, 21 percent of the national population, Central Bureau of Statistics head Yassin Al-Haj Abdin announced today in a press conference.

Khartoum’s population is estimated at 5,074,321 followed by South Darfur state at 4,039,594; Al Jazeera state is in the third place with 3,575,280 followed by North Kordofan with 2,920,992.

According to the announced census result, some 520,000 southern Sudanese are living in the north.

     It was said that alot of sudanese political activist are rejecting this census and pointed out that it is not reliable. Sudan First Vice President Salva Kiir stated that he was “unhappy and unsatisfied with the census results”.

The National Congress Party (NCP) official Ibrahim Ghandour responded quickly to Kiir saying that the election law has determined that constituencies will be based on population.

     this debate seams to continue while other political parties such as the Umma party or the Democratic Unionist Party are on the observation seat. of course this is not the first time the NCP and the SPLM are in the arena for the other parties to watch the ferrous debate. now what really made my head spin is that the news of this population census is not widely found on the net, even not  talked about in Sudan national TV as if it was meant to be that way. i am really grateful to Sudantribune for there articles and it is wonderful to at least find reliable information on the net. but the main job should be for the Sudan national TV to talk about these issues not to just over pass it and forget about it and not mention anything about it expect on the news broadcast. of course the census can lead to lots of changes in the compressive peace agreement because it is a key factor in the distribution of power and wealth according to population.

     As the debate continues on this issue there is an important factor this is surfacing up in the news and that is there is a need for trust between parties in Sudan. this trust doesn't come easily and i know that, but i believe in order to enforce this trust the two side that are playing the major roll in this CPA should work together more constructively not assuming that each party is an entity by it self. i believe the first step to having this trust is including the Sudanese people in the debate by the means of media sources that normal Sudanese citizen receive there information from. i guess Sudan TV has to rethink again about what they need to broadcast about to us not what they want to broadcast about to us.  so here i end it,please feel free to shear you thoughts and correction on this article or this issue.