Sudan: Key Candidate Pulls Out of Presidential Polls

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By Shamsydeen Badmus

Published: April 3, 2010

Sudan: Key Candidate Pulls Out of Presidential Polls

Shamsydeen Badmus

 One of the main contenders in Sudan’s upcoming presidential election has withdrawn from the campaign blaming the continuing conflict in the Darfur region and “electoral irregularities”. Yassir Arman, the leader of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), announced yesterday that he would not stand against President Omar al-Bashir, casting further doubt on the legitimacy of the country’s first fully-contested election in 24 years. Northern opposition parties have already threatened to boycott the ballot amid allegations of election fraud. The SPLM – former rebels from South Sudan – said they would still put candidates forward in other elections across the country. The US-based rights group, Human Rights Watch, has also criticised the government, saying that the repression of the media and its opponents threaten a “free, fair, and credible election”.

 

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