A Survey of the Programmes of the Presidential Candidates
03 April, 2015KHARTOUM (SUDANOW)—While the presidential candidates in the 2010 elections were leaders of well-established political parties and well-known figures in the Sudanese society, the overwhelming majority of the 15 candidates, who are challenging incumbent president Omar al-Bashir, in the forthcoming elections are unknown figures in the Sudanese political arena, either because they are affiliated to newborn political parties or due to their long absence abroad or with no political activity that is known to the public. This situation raised among some people questions about the motives of their candidacy: is it a farce by the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) to bestow unto the elections the image of a democratic competition and acceptability? Or is it a desire by those candidates just to show off, bearing in mind that it is most likely that Bashir would eventually win the day? However, some people prefer to assuage the four candidates who are affiliated to political parties by saying that all big parties were small at the beginning.
The Sudan News Agency (SUNA) interviewed a number of those candidates and is publishing hereunder excerpts of their statements:
1- Candidate Hamdi Hassan Ahmed Mohamed (Independent, born on April 18, 1972, expatriate): "Cancellation of all states and settlement of all Sudanese people in the capital".
My electoral programme is based on formation of a transitional government in which all political forces will take part. It is a general knowledge that the opponents of the current government demand the formation of a transitional government which will provide freedoms of expression and rational political activity to serve the country and the people. This transitional government will draft the constitution required for ruling the county. The coming government is the transitional one which is demanded by all people and I intend to form it if, God willing, the people accept me as president.
As regards the government structure, there will be no states, localities and administrative units and all the services will be provided by the specialized ministries which will be run by the ministers under the direct supervision of the President of the Republic.
All of the Sudan will be divided into agricultural blocs and the national private sector will be encouraged for investment in agriculture as well as the international companies and countries. A vast wheat scheme will be established in north Sudan to use Merowe Dam water for irrigation. The taxation chamber will be shut down as there will be no taxes at all.
I intend to resolve the housing problem by abolition of all the states and settlement of the entire Sudanese population in Khartoum, Khartoum North and Omdurman which will be divided into housing blocs and will be turned into a capital of international standards. Moreover, I will abolish all universities, except three- the University of Khartoum which will consist of medical colleges, the Sudan University for engineering colleges and Omdurman Islamic University for theoretical colleges. A free education system will be introduced to enable the students get modern and advanced education.
The external relations will be based on mutual respect and exchange of interests, something which will facilitate the management of any file. We will endeavor to resolve the external debt problem. It must be taken into consideration that my very winning of the presidency will provide an incentive to the creditor countries to pardon their debts. There will also be other solutions such as granting the creditors agricultural lands for a specific duration and rent that cover the debt.
My economic programme is aimed at achieving an annual revenue for the State to reach at least 41 billion dollars, which is higher than the annual expenditure which is estimated at 31 billion dollars. The revenue will rise to 134 billion dollars in five years' time.
2- Presidential candidate Fadul al-Sid Shuaib (the Federal Truth Party, established in 2008):Formation of a five-year transitional government.
The present political situation is divided into five camps: the first one is the movements taking up arms which we believe have not served the country since 1995 until 2005, the second is Arhal (go away) group which plans to undermine the elections. But where can the regime go? Either to the bush or to go home and we believe this Arhal process is carried out through the polling boxes. The third camp is the current government which has remained in power for 25 years and found it difficult to solve a number of issues and continued rotating around certain points, holding a unilateral standpoint and has to give a chance to others. The fourth camp consists of the people who have given up hope of reaching any solution, while the fifth one is the camp which seeks a solution. We belong to this camp which believes in reaching a comprehensive political solution through negotiation, dialogue and elections and through positive reasoning to take the country to safety. We call upon affiliates of all other camps to join this group.
We will present to all political forces a proposal for formation of a five-year transitional government with a task of resolving the country's problems through another dialogue that follows the elections. We want our brothers who are taking up arms to come over here for a frank discussion on the governance problems. In the second step, we will work for development of the economy and for checking the soaring prices through a medium- and long-term plan for and economic reform. This applies to other problems mainly caused by political practices. We believe that it was the Sudan's ethnic, tribal, geographic and cultural diversity that made it difficult to find a solution since independence. For this reason we advocate a return to the old six-region system with each region having an assistant president to be stationed in the region rather than the Republican Palace. Then we will move to drafting a permanent constitution with participation of all Sudanese people. In this way we will be able to find the right solution to all problems of development and fair sharing of resources and power and to the problems of justice and freedoms.
We have to respect the privacy of the other countries and should not interfere in their domestic affairs. In reciprocation, those countries have to respect us and should not interfere in our domestic affairs.
We are for application of Islamic Sharia laws; there are countries which apply those laws and have no problems with the world. Countries of the world should respect our policy of applying the Godly Sharia, just as we do not interfere in their secular legislations.
We believe that until now the performance of the National Elections Commission is acceptable but there have appeared some signs of intervention by a number of states in the elections process. North Kordofan State, for instance, issued instructions to the political parties which intend to carry out activities must obtain permission from the security authorities and must not stick posters in the city in any way.
When we made a political activity in Constituency 31, Kalaklah, the national television broadcast only the press statement we gave and entirely ignored the speeches which were delivered on that occasion which centered on our electoral programme. WE believe this is not enough because we intend to address the Sudanese people through the speeches we make in forums and panels which shed light on the Party's electoral programme. The Television should therefore report the speeches and must not be selective and transmit what likes and keep aside what it does not like. The Commission granted us only 20 minutes which is not enough for presentation of the Party's programme.
3- Presidential Candidate Professor/Fatima Abdul Mahmoud (Democratic Socialist Union Party): The relationship with the United States of America constitutes the backbone of my electoral programme.
In my first experience in 2010 I was confronted with the challenge of whether or not my candidacy, as a woman, would be accepted and I succeeded in obtaining recognition to the woman's right to run for the Presidency.
The priority in my electoral programme is finding a solution to the fighting in Darfur, Kordofan and the Blue Nile through negotiations with the armed movements because this armed conflict is behind the country's political and economic problems. I think this conflict is being fanned by external powers which benefit from instability in Sudan.
In my opinion, the issue is connected with the external relations and balanced relations, consultations, democracy and good neighborliness in addition to dialogue with the various parties in different venues offer a prelude to finding solutions to all problems.
Those problems can be solved through improvement of our external ties, achievement of peace and proper utilization of gold, other minerals, petroleum and other natural resources which can be utilized in an optimal way only through improvement of the external relations which enables us to attract investment from the West and the East. In addition, the Gezira Scheme is to be rehabilitated while investment will be stepped up and job opportunities will be made available for employment of 5 million youths by establishing new industries and reopening the existing ones, setting up rural development projects and investment in migration for raising the gross domestic product, following the Egyptian example.
The main stake in my election programme is the relationship with the United States of America. We must build up bilateral ties with the US and cast aside arguments by the Sudanese diplomacy that the US links any issue with the human rights situation and the local conditions in Sudan and unnecessarily interferes in the internal affairs. But the human rights, democracy and equality are internationally recognized issues which are observed beyond borders. Following the 2010 elections, the US Administration invited me to visit the US where I met most of President Obama's aides and the discussion centered around the US sanctions on Sudan. I received a promise of exerting utmost efforts with the European Union and other countries, through the United Nations, for lifting the sanctions and writing of the debts. The contacts with the US were not disconnected and I will implement this policy towards the US if I win the presidency, something which is not ruled out.
The opportunities in the electoral campaign are unequal as we provided 20 minutes in three periods, one time in the Sudan News agency and three times in the national Radio, while the chances are widely available to our respected rival President Omar al-Bashir who is in a continuous state of promoting his campaign and inaugurating projects.
4- Presidential Candidate Yasir Salih Abdul Gadir (Chairman, Justice Party, founded in 2002, born in 1960, graduated in Faculty of Economy and Political Sciences, Garnet University, UK): "Formation of a one-year emergency mini-government for improvement of living standards".
Our party programme aims at reflecting a respectful image of the Sudan and relies on the youths of all sectors and on the country's natural resources and our first and last concern is the Sudanese national.
We will work seriously for lifting from the Sudan the economic sanctions which have a negative impact on the civilian before the government. The Sudan has no problem with the White House or the State Department but there are pressures groups which bar normalization of the relations with Washington. We intend to have dialogue with those groups for finding an end to the sanctions.
We have an integrated economic plan for the people's interest which combines the free and guided systems together and which makes use of the local raw materials such as the methane cooking gas. We are planning to reactivate the major agricultural schemes in addition to prospection of various minerals, employment of the oil proceeds in support of agriculture, industry and services. We have a plan for formation of a one-year emergency mini-government aimed at improvement of the individual living standard.
The solution of the problems in Darfur, Nuba Mountains and Blue Nile lies in the fair distribution of power and resources. The wars there cost 70% of the country's budget. We have a plan for sitting down with the armed movements for negotiations on serious and peaceful means for solving those problems.
Our priorities include introduction of an electronic government which alleviates the burden on the civil service, provides information, achieves transparency, prohibits corruption and cuts down favoritism by 99%.
I believe the general local and regional environment is not conducive to holding the elections as there are militants carrying arms and political parties boycotting the elections, but how long are we going to wait for a suitable time? A conducive time may not come at all and, therefore we have to organize the elections in the present situation. Elections are always shrouded by suspicions and a 10% corruption, an internationally acceptable rate, would depreciate fairness of the process.
5- Presidential Candidate Mohamed Awad Ahmed al-Baroudy (PhD, conflict resolution - formerly NCP senior figure, now independent candidate): "We call for deserting affiliation to political parties as an idea and practice".
Our election programme is based on the fact that the Sudan is rich in natural resources and economic potentials which do not exist in many countries and is also rich in human resources, there are highly qualified Sudanese nationals who are at the head of international organizations of all domains, still, the Sudanese are poor. Our situation is therefore extra-ordinary. There are some countries which we used to excel in the 1960s and in the 1970s, their budgets are now counted in trillions of dollars, although they do not possess any natural resources. Our programme is therefore based on employment of the human resources for achievement of development in addition to the maximum exploitation of the natural resources.
Yet another fact is that the youths have no significant role to play; they have become desperate due to protracted unemployment and decided to immigrate abroad. The leading figures clung to positions preventing the younger generation from taking over and assuming responsibilities. For this reason our programme provides that an official should not remain in office for more than four years, unlike the case in the West where a leader may remain two terms in the office. We are a young state and nobody should assume the responsibility more than this period.
As regards the external relations, our election programme provides for establishment of good relations with the neighboring countries as well as those of the region and the world at large. This policy will attract Arab, African, regional and international investments into the Sudan.
The programme calls for combating tribalism, regionalism and partisanship and for full equality among all Sudanese nationals. It also calls for boosting the cultural diversity as the Sudan is characterized by multiple ethnicities, languages and cultures, something which is a source of power.
The programme also calls for deserting affiliation to political parties because both the ruling and opposition parties have failed to provide solutions to the problems of the country.
We consider Sharia as a means for securing food for the people rather than imposition of hudoud (punishments). It is a system of life and every people adopt the ruling system that is compatible with their beliefs. The Sharia is basically concerned with the human-being and with his humanity and this is what we are seeking to achieve.
My programme contains a timetable for implementation of projects in the different fields and starting from the first year of my presidency, we will rehabilitate the Sudan Airways and Sudan Shipping Line as well as the deserted projects in all regions of the country. We are also planning to recall 200,000 from the 5 million Sudanese who are abroad to participate in the national building.
I met the American envoy in Addis Ababa and earlier in the State Department in Washington, among other officials last April and the topic I raised was a demand for lifting the US sanctions on Sudan.
6- Presidential Candidate Abdul Mahmoud Abdul Jabbar (Union of the Umma Forces Party): "We seek to establish a crisis government of technocrats comprising parties and personalities".
We believe that the Sudanese crisis is a political one connected with a particular social situation adversely affected by tribalism and regionalism.
At this stage we will try to achieve consensus, or partnership of all political forces, both those which are participating or not participating in the elections. We are thinking of forming a government of technocrats groups representatives of the political parties and independent personalities which will be tasked with drafting the permanent constitution and laying down the principle of justice, bearing in mind that Islam does not differentiate between an Arab and a non-Arab and rules that the only difference between people is piety.
We also plan to put an end to the controversy over the state-religion issue, rejecting isolation of the faith from the life and at the same time rejecting transformation of the faith into a penal code. We are planning to exert efforts for reaching peace through negotiation with the armed movement. Our plans also provide for compensations to people affected by the war since 2003.
My programme provides for guaranteeing freedom of expression and other freedoms as there is no Islamic provision which denies such freedoms. There are laws which confiscate the right to freedoms and permit arrest without trial and our programme prevents such violations.
In connection with the economy, we call for concentration on agriculture which we consider as more important than any other activity.
My message to the Sudanese people is that all of you should turn out for voting, instead of responding to the boycotting parties which cannot add anything new to the Sudanese experience. I call upon you to vote for the candidate who you think will provide you with a dignified way of living and who will make a change, otherwise, prepare yourselves for lifting subsidies of fuels and for imposition of taxes.
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