Sudan
(asked on 17th March 2015) - View Source
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they consider that fair or free elections can be held in the Republic of Sudan next month while people there are displaced or affected by violence; if so, how; how they consider that conditions there compare with those which prevailed before the 2010 elections; and whether their assessment is that elections will hinder or help national dialogue in Sudan.
This question was answered on 25th March 2015
Due to the ongoing conflicts, political detentions, and clampdown on media freedoms, it is hard to see how elections scheduled in April 2015 could be free and fair. The 2010 elections were an important milestone in the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, but five years on restrictions on political freedoms remain. We urge all parties to stand by their commitments to National Dialogue. A genuine National Dialogue remains the best opportunity to achieve a genuinely representative political system.
Due to the ongoing conflicts, political detentions, and clampdown on media freedoms, it is hard to see how elections scheduled in April 2015 could be free and fair. The 2010 elections were an important milestone in the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, but five years on restrictions on political freedoms remain. We urge all parties to stand by their commitments to National Dialogue. A genuine National Dialogue remains the best opportunity to achieve a genuinely representative political system.