Originally posted by the Voice of America.
Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America,
a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in
the public domain.


Sudan Electoral Official Says Vote Will Proceed Despite Suggestions to Delay
Election

   An  advisor  to  Sudanâs  National Electoral Commission (NEC) says the
   electoral body is organizing meetings with all participating political
   parties  to  address  their  concerns  ahead of the April 11th to 13th
   general election.

   Peter Clottey 18 March 2010
   Leading  candidates in Sudan's first multiparty presidential election,
   from  left,  Yasir  Arman,  Omar  al-Beshir  and  Sadiq al-Mahdi (file
   photos)

Photo: AFP

   Leading  candidates in Sudan's first multiparty presidential election,
   from left, Yasir Arman, Omar al-Beshir and Sadiq al-Mahdi

   An  advisor  to  Sudanâs  National Electoral Commission (NEC) says the
   electoral body is organizing meetings with all participating political
   parties  to  address  their concerns ahead of the April 11^th to 13^th
   general election.

   The commissionâs media advisor Abu Bakr Waziri said the elections will
   go on as planned despite suggestions by officials of the Carter Center
   to delay the vote due to what they described as logistical constraints
   that may hamper the election.

   âI  have  gone  through what they (Carter center) have suggested. They
   are  suggesting  that  there  are  some  logistical  problems  in  the
   transport  of the election materialsâ¦The other day we received nearly
   all  the ballot boxes (and) they are being transported by air to⦠all
   the (places) of Sudan,â he said.

   The  Carter  Center  released its latest appraisal on Sudanâs upcoming
   vote  saying  while  much  has been achieved in organizing the general
   elections,  the  process  remains  âat  risk  on multiple fronts.â The
   center  also  asked  the National Electoral Commission to postpone the
   vote up to 10 days.

   But  advisor  Waziri  said Sudanâs electoral body is well prepared for
   the vote.

   âThe  statement  that I can make on behalf of the electoral commission
   is that there is no logistical problem that will demand or necessitate
   any  delay  in  the  electionâ¦There  is no postponement because there
   (are) no logistical problems here,â Waziri said.

   The  Carter  Center  said  Sudanâs electoral commission has frequently
   changed  the  number  of  polling  stations  that will be in operation
   during the vote.

   Some  opposition  parties  have  also  called  for a delay in the vote
   claiming that they needed more time to pass more democratic reforms.

   The opposition recently demanded a full-scale investigation into how a
   company  linked  to  President  Hassan  Bashirâs  government  won  the
   contract to print ballot papers for the vote.

   But  Waziri  said  the  ballots are being printed under heavy security
   protection.

   âActually  all  the ballot papers were printed outside Sudan. Only one
   ballot  which  is  being  printed  because  of shortness of time⦠Iâm
   saying while the printing is going on they (opposition parties) wanted
   to  observe that. But all the ballot papers are in the warehouse under
   tight security measures,â Waziri said.

   The  upcoming  vote  will be Sudanâs first in 24 years, which is a key
   element  in  the  2005  Comprehensive Peace Agreement that effectively
   ended  the  more  than  two  decades  of war between the north and the
   south.

.