Sudan is set for 'fair, democratic transparent elections'
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Sudanese Ambassador to the UN Abdalmahmood Abdalhaleem Mohamad expressed confidence here Thursday that the upcoming Sudanese national elections set for Sunday will be "fair, transparent and successful."
"I can ensure that everything is set for fair, democratic and transparent elections that everybody in Sudan will be proud about," Mohamad told reporters here at the UN Headquarters after Security Council consultations on Sudan, which will hold the elections on Sunday.
The Sudanese multi-party elections, the first set of its kind in more than 20 years, are set for Sunday through Tuesday.
"The moment for democratic transformation for the country for which the government committed itself is now coming and is now a reality," Mohamad said.
Noting that there may be "some crises within some political parties," Mohamad reiterated that it is "their problem (and) not the problem of the Sudanese people."
"Preparations are now underway for fair, transparent and successful elections," Mohamad said, adding that there is "no electoral crisis at all."
On Wednesday, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed concerns for the "sensitive" period and recommended an extension of the UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) for another year.
The secretary-general noted that the elections should play "a positive role in strengthening opportunities" for the Sudanese people and called on concerned parties to ensure that the electoral environment is "free and fair."
With the referendum set for January 2011 on the independence for southern Sudan, Ban noted challenges UNMIS will face, such as referendum preparations, security in the south, and capacity- building in areas UNMIS operates.
Next year's vote is among the key milestones of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), the pact between the National Congress Party (NCP) and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) that ended the long-running north-south civil war.
In his report, Ban proposed an extension of UNMIS until April 30, 2011. The current mandate is set to expire April 30.
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