VZCZCXRO9037
OO RUEHROV RUEHTRO
DE RUEHKH #0964/01 2350551
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 230551Z AUG 09
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4290
INFO RUCNIAD/IGAD COLLECTIVE
RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE
RHMFISS/CJTF HOA

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KHARTOUM 000964 
 
NSC FOR MGAVIN, LETIM 
DEPT PLS PASS USAID FOR AFR/SUDAN 
ADDIS ABABA ALSO FOR USAU 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KDEM SU
 
SUBJECT: Opposition Parties Call for Elections Boycott 
 
Ref:  Khartoum 925 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Latif Joseph Sabag, a founding member of the Umma 
Party, told poloff August 17 that opposition party leaders decided 
August 15 to boycott next year's elections, based on their view that 
the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) conducted a flawed census, 
failed to reform national security laws in a timely manner, and 
continue to lack transparency regarding planned election procedures. 
  These complaints, combined with the likelihood that all citizens 
of Darfur would be unable to vote, support the Opposition's position 
that the elections will neither be free nor fair.  NCP and Sudanese 
People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) spokesmen opposed the boycott in 
the press.  Sabag said the Umma party would continue to prepare for 
the elections, and "if our demands are met we will participate." 
END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (SBU) According to Sabag, representatives of 24 opposition 
parties met on August 15, 2009, at Umma Party Headquarters to 
discuss elections; minority parties' representatives brought the 
boycott proposal forward, and it was agreed by consensus.  The Umma 
Party supported the proposal, Sabag said.  Sabag explained, "We want 
real elections, irrespective of the results.  We do not want merely 
to legitimize (the ruling party.)" 
 
Flawed Census Major Reason for Boycott 
-------------------------------------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) The primary reason behind the decision to boycott the 
elections is census, which Sabag called "suspicious." Sabag claimed 
that census committees were hand-chosen by the NCP, and "did not 
visit or register anybody" in some areas that were known to be 
aligned with opposition parties.  "Households were omitted because 
of political orientation."  However, he added, if there were "a 
quick and correct registration for voters" and if constituencies 
were amended according to the registration, the opposition parties 
would view this as a good-faith effort by the NCP toward free and 
fair elections. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Sabag accused the NCP of using stalling tactics to postpone 
the elections and remain in power, and questioned the legitimacy of 
the current government.  The NCP should have been subjected to a 
vote on July 9, 2009, as provided for in the Comprehensive Peace 
Agreement (CPA), he said.  The NCP has "been deliberately postponing 
everything, to make sure the regime stays in power to continue its 
20 year monopoly over business, wealth, the civil service.  They are 
worried, and certain they will not get any votes in the South or 
West." 
 
No Progress on Security Law Reform 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) Among other complaints raised at the meeting, Sabag noted, 
"[NISS] has the right to arrest and detain anyone for one full month 
without setting forth any accusations.  How can there be free 
elections under these circumstances?"  Sabag said that, at the 
August 15 meeting, "Everyone, including the SPLM," insisted that the 
security laws be reformed so that files on detainees are passed to 
the courts after a single day.  The failure to reform the security 
laws is another major reason for the boycott, he said. 
 
NCP Controls Voting Procedure 
----------------------------- 
 
¶6. (SBU) The opposition parties also decried the lack of 
transparency in the voting process, Sabag said.  "It used to be that 
schoolteachers would operate the voting booths.  Now, however, the 
only schoolteachers are the NCP's schoolteachers."  It is still 
unclear who will monitor the elections, and who will physically 
carry out the procedures.  No electoral procedures planned for the 
2010 elections have been made available to the opposition parties 
for discussion or debate, Sabag complained. 
 
Press Censorship Rife 
--------------------- 
 
¶7. (SBU) The opposition parties also cited the NCP's continued 
imposition of press censorship as a barrier to participating in the 
elections.  "Security officers go and visit every newspaper in the 
evenings, and allow or disallow articles.  Even some of the First 
Vice President's own declarations are not allowed to be published", 
Sabag said.  Freedom of the press is a precondition for the 
opposition groups' participation in the election, he said. 
 
Without Peace, Darfur Cannot Vote 
--------------------------------- 
 
 
KHARTOUM 00000964  002 OF 002 
 
 
¶8. (SBU)  As a final reason for the boycott, Sabag said the parties 
see the continued fighting in Darfur as a major barrier to 
participation in the elections by Darfur citizens.  Unless the 
government brings "real peace" to Darfur, participation in the 
election will be impossible for most Darfuris, he said. 
 
NCP and SPLM Reject Boycott 
--------------------------- 
 
¶9. (SBU) According to the Sudan Tribune, NCP and SPLM party 
officials both rejected the opposition parties' announcement.  Sabag 
dismissed the NCP's position as an attempt to "legitimize their coup 
d'etat."  As for the SPLM, Sabag commented, "SPLM wants elections to 
go forward because they are sure to win in the South," and added 
that the SPLM considers the election boycott to be a "Northern 
problem."  Sabag noted that SPLM is dissatisfied with both the 
census and the election preparations as they stand now. 
 
¶10. (SBU) COMMENT: The opposition are using the threat of a boycott 
to push for their demands.  It is not clear, however, that the 
opposition parties, even in concert, would be able to muster 
sufficient votes to affect the outcome of the election; some have 
even argued that the opposition parties, aware of their weakness, 
have adopted the boycott as a face-saving measure.  Nonetheless, the 
boycott, or threat thereof, is one more complicating element that 
calls into question whether the election will in fact take place. 
End Comment. 
 
Whitehead