Will there be free and fair elections under the SPLM?

Written By : Eng. Ding Yian Gai

(SSN)

Competitive elections are integral characteristics of democracy. Ideally, elections facilitate the peaceful transfer of political power and make those who govern accountable to the electorate. Elections are symbolic empowerment of the people over their leaders and a communication channel between them at the same time.



In fact, the right to elections has been enshrined in international law. Most importantly elections have become part of the international peace-building strategy, which strongly links peace to democratic development.



Most internationally sponsored peace agreements nowadays stipulate the holding of free and fair elections after the interim period. Therefore, in the case of the CPA Article 1.8.3 stipulates that elections shall be conducted at all levels of the Sudan at the end of third year. Of course the two partners could not meet to this dateline for reasons best known to them. They are now scheduled for April 2009.



But the question to ask is: will elections in the South under the SPLM administration be free and fair? This million-dollar question rings in the mind of every southerner today. Before answering this question I would like to inform my readers that the SPLM is currently caught between two difficult positions: either to boycott elections or to participate. With poor performance in the last four years and marred by endemic corruption and insecurity in the south, the SPLM fears loosing the elections. On the other hand, boycotting elections would mean loosing America’s support. I will return to these issues later. Now let me go back our question. Will the elections be free and fair under the SPLM-controlled GOSS?



Of course elections under the SPLM-controlled GOSS can not be expected to be free and fair for very obvious reasons. First, the SPLM has been in power since 2005 and all this time has amassed considerable funds whether legally or illegally. These will be used to buy votes during the elections thereby creating an unfair competitive advantage over other political parties. There can only be fair competition among the parties if Article 69 of the National Elections Law 2009 is implemented. This will require that all officials, constitutional post holders included, resign before declaring their candidatures.

My second fear is that the SPLM may use violence and intimidation in its desperate attempts to win elections. Over the years during the liberation war violence has pervaded individual, social and political relations and has been used by the SPLM as a legitimate mode of political behaviour. Even long after the CPA the SPLM did not hesitate to use violence against its adversaries. Examples abound: the murder of NCP operative in Yambio, fatal attack on Dr. Lam bodyguards on Anakdiar-Malakal road during SPLM congresses and recently in Khartoum, the attack by SPLM students at a rally organised by SPLM-DC supporters.
All these incidents are indicative that the SPLM is politically intolerant and although it has been calling for democratic transformation, it hardly implements it. Thus it is feared that political and civil liberties such as freedom of speech and freedom of movement may be restricted by the SPLM during the campaign and polling. Even before elections these fundamental rights and freedoms used to be denied by SPLM state governors, commissioners and SPLA commanders.
My third fear revolves around the “competitiveness” of the elections. The competitiveness nature of elections may aggravate existing social conflict and cleavages particularly the election of the president of GOSS and governors where different tribes are expected to compete. In competitive elections, it is sometimes true that groups that have had a chance to govern may run the risk of losing power. If this happens, incumbents may not take this lightly and therefore may mobilise their supporters in an attempt to influence the electoral process and outcome through threats, intimidation, rigging and violence.
The probability of this occurring in the coming elections is increased by the fact that the majority of the officials who will manage the elections and command those forces securing elections hail from same tribe and party. But the most obvious thing that the SPLM will do, if it has not done it already, is how to ensure that the upcoming elections are rigged in its favour. For the last five years the SPLM has proven that it has no experience and expertise to manage public affairs, no moral turpitude to keep public money, no nationalist sentiments to unite our people and no strategic wisdom to lead our people to the declared objectives.
Last but not least, the fact is that for twenty six good years the SPLM has been running its affairs by selection and not election. For the SPLM leaders elections are like a black hole in the universe which scientists describe as void and scary. The SPLM does not and will not accept its failures and will therefore employ all its wits and whims at its disposal to rig the elections come rain or shine.