Sudan Vision Daily News Paper Official Website - Washington Supports Sudan Elections' Run in April

Doha, AFP

President Obama's Special Envoy to Sudan Gen. Scott Gration, announced last Saturday in Doha, Qatar, that the U.S supports Conduction of Sudan's national elections as scheduled for coming April.

He said he believes that the elections should be held as planned despite the Sudanese opposition's growing demands for postponement until next November.
Darfur Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) has demanded postponement of those elections, viewing such postponement as " Determinant factor of Movement's commitment to the peace process" without explicitly making that demand for putting off elections a precondition for signing a final peace agreement with Khartoum.

Commenting on Darfur peace process the American Diplomat said, " Any real peace accord must embrace all stakeholders, " informing that " Efforts are now aimed at concluding another framework agreement between the government and the " Liberation and Justice Movement (LJM)".
The formation of the Liberation and Justice Movement (LJM) was recently announced in Doha made up of SLM/ Revolutionary Forces and other four movements which were united under the name of "Addis Ababa Group".

Gration said they are looking forward to having the “big election” in Sudan this April. “These elections are the first in 24 years that the people in Sudan can express their will through the ballot and I think this is very important, because the process that are put into place now, the political transformation, the democratization that is happening right now might set the future generation a way of expressing their will through the ballot and not the bullet.”

In press statement in Doha, Gration reported," We are serious with regard to adherence to the schedule set for Sudan's elections, " he added," We believe that that elections will happen on this date and we encourage the Sudanese Government to run those elections, as set, in April."

National and regional presidential as well parliamentary elections has been set for the period 11-13th , coming April to be the first multiparty elections since 1986. And as the process of registration for the said elections is wound up, JEM will have no opportunity to participate in the polls.
"The leader of Sudan Liberation Movement Abdel-Wahid Mohamed Nur has wasted a "historical" opportunity to join the peace talks and the accord signed in the Arab Gulf state of Qatar, " the US special envoy to Sudan Scott Gration said today, adding, "He [Al-Nur] isolated himself and believe that he either does not want anything or does not know what he wants and we gave him a historical opportunity and extended many invitations to him but he has had his chance" Gration told reporters in a press conference at the US Ambassador’s residence in the Qatari capital.
Gration stressed the necessity to engage all movements in the negotiations. "There won't be a real peace in Darfur it is confined to JEM and the government," Gration said, adding "eventually a common ground has to be reached. I think JEM has to be more flexible."
He hinted that a host of agreements under one umbrella might be reached with Darfur rebels.
Last month, the Sudanese government and the Darfur Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) signed a temporary ceasefire and a framework agreement in Doha paving the way for direct negotiations and a comprehensive peace accord.