The general elections that are due to start in April 11 are a very ambitious and complicated exercise with voters choosing candidates for three different levels of government at the same time, an official said.
Akolda Man Tier, a member of the National Elections Commission (NEC), told the participants in the Second State’s Ministerial Coordinating Workshop that it would have been easier to have different electoral laws and hold separate ballots for different government levels.Mr. Man explained that NEC under the National Elections Law is not authorized to elect the chief administrator and the executive council of Abyei.
He added that the presidency agreed to increase the representation of Southern Sudan at the National Assembly by 40 seats because as he put it the Census was not corrected.
Mr. Man said the agreement puts some problems because nominations are already over and NEC does not have the power to make changes in the National Elections Law.
He explained it is up to the presidency to find a solution for this legal problem.
Mr. Man said the same applies for the agreed increased representation of Southern Kordofan at the National Assembly.
He concluded that these changes brought confusion to the elections process.
Mr. Man blamed political parties for the problems that NEC is facing, saying the problems demand for a political solution.