Elections Non-update

The results of the elections were not announced on Friday as anticipated, and apparently no official date has been given as to when they will be made known. Some have said Sunday, others Monday, others some day next week. Votes are being counted and verified by hand, a delicate and time-consuming process.

Apparently, though, results of local races in some parts of the country have been released. There were reports of some unrest in Western Equatoria caused by disappointment at the loss of a particular candidate for governor. Official SPLM candidate for governor of Eastern Equatoria, Louis Labong Lajore, is reported to have a strong lead over former governor and independent candidate Aloisio Emor Ojetuk. Labong is from the Toposa tribe in the eastern part of the state; Ojetuk is a Lotuko from Torit. Their race for the governor’s seat divided the state along ethnic lines and has caused concern about potential disturbances in the wake of the elections.

Omar al Bashir of the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) will certainly be declared the winner in his uncontested bid for president of the country; his opponents withdrew citing the impossibility of a fair election in the north. Salva Kiir, also uncontested, will undoubtedly be reelected president of the South and first vice president of the entire republic. Both leaders have pledged that their parties will accept the outcome of the elections. Some observers have predicted that little will change in the political landscape of Sudan as a result of the elections, although the potential for some unexpected results and rigged elections in certain areas could upset the current balance in the national parliament and some state assemblies.

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