When I was busy keeping track of the last US presidential race, I was baffled by the apathetic attitude displayed by some of my American friends towards their country’s future. One of them is a US Marine I went to school with, who fought in Iraq. I’ll never forget what he told me.
Me: So, dude, who are you voting for? Obama or McCain?
Friend: Man, I ain’t voting for nobody. F*ck that shit!
Me: Erm, why?
Friend: Man, they’re all full of shit anyway!
Me: So you’re willing to risk your life and fight for your country, but you’re not bothered to vote? Enlighten me please!
Friend: Like I said, they’re all full of shit anyway. What difference will it make?
If I had a magic crystal ball back then, I would have replied, “for a start, health care!” I should have added “withdrawing from Iraq” and a bunch of other foreign policy things that impact the world.
But that was America, and now that it’s Sudan’s turn, I am beginning to relate to my friend’s attitude. It’s funny really, because I didn’t expect myself to wind up here, especially after blogging so much about Sudan from 2006 to 2008.
I won’t vote in the Sudanese elections.
I won’t vote because:
1. I missed the voter registration date and hardly regretted it since I’ve never really believed in the predicted “change-bringing” effects of the expected elections. Hence, I can’t vote anyway even if I change my mind and wanted to.
2. Positive alternatives to Al-Bashir with an actual chance of winning are nil.
3. Assuming I registered, given that Al-Bashir is going to win any way, I would rather abstain from voting than vote for him.
4. Regardless of the “confidence” in the election process expressed by the US envoy to Sudan, the elections aren’t going to be fair or transparent.
5. Even if I’m wrong and the election process achieves some decent level of transparency and fairness, it still takes lots of money for parties and candidates to win, something that Al-Bashir and his NCP have a lot of, while the opposition is relatively broke, with the exception of the SPLM which is too corrupt and divided to even run itself properly anyway.
6. Quite frankly, I just don’t care about the political process anymore at the moment. It’s hopeless. I’ve been so disconnected and apathetic towards what’s happening, I no longer feel its relevance. Given the current circumstances, Sudan is a country in waiting with too many question marks ahead.
Now, I don’t want to put down the hopes of Sudanese who have passionately rallied their fellow citizens to vote and get involved in the election process. I admire them for that, but electing a new Sudanese president is a losing battle, which is why I find it hilarious when well-meaning but naive Westerners like Simon Tisdall express such a rosy view.
Don’t get me wrong, the elections as a milestone for Sudan are a very great thing! However, the election process itself as a means of electing a new government is a joke. So why do the US envoy to Sudan and Jimmy Carter seem to express a rather optimistic, albeit cautious views about the event? Well, to answer that, one first needs to notice that the US administration took a position contrary to that of the opposition parties in Sudan.
While many in the opposition wanted the elections to be postponed, the US pressed that they should continue on time, regardless of boycotts and threats of more boycotts by the opposition. This is because America views the historic event within the bigger and more important context in which it is happening: the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, which has milestones and a timeline designed to lead to the Southern Sudan referendum in January 2011.
Therefore, this shouldn’t surprise anyone.
April 10, 2010 (JUBA) – The US Special Envoy to Sudan, Scott Gration, has welcomed the decision confirmed by the leadership of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) that it will participate in the elections in Northern Sudan states, saying it was important for the prioritized upcoming referendum in the South.
… Gration, who seemed to express satisfaction with the SPLM’s strategic political priorities, said his office was ready to assist in the contentious issues between the two peace-partners [NCP and SPLM] so that referendum on independence of Southern Sudan would be conducted as scheduled for January 2011.
Oh well, I wonder what it would have been like if John Garang was still around. Too bad he isn’t. And too bad Sudan doesn’t seem to have the strong necessary leadership in the opposition that’s capable of running a well-organized political party, let alone an entire fragile country that can disintegrate into another Somalia if it isn’t held together firmly.
Meanwhile, let the games begin! It’s time for those much-awaited and talked about elections! I will be keeping track of the news every now and then. And when 2011 has come and gone, let me know. I might get back to my former days of high engagement and interest.
Sudanese in the house, drop your comments and links to your blog posts below, if you have any please. A Global Voices round up is in the works.
I would love to hear your point of view.
Yalla, salam.
- Drima
SudaneseThinker
SudaneseThinker
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Hi Drima,
Thanks for this post.
I am a registered voter and until recently, I was brimming with hope that these elections can at least bring about a slight change in the dynamics of Sudanese politics, a change that might pave the way for a true democratic transformation in the years to come.
However, my enthusiasm was greatly devastated when the SPLM’s candidate Yasir Arman, for whom I had intended to vote, withdrew from the presidential elections. Not that I believed he had better chances than Al-Bashir but because I believed he could have mounted a real challenge to the political establishment in the north.
I’ve decided I will not vote.
I will not vote. Not because I am apathetic but because I realized that these elections have already been rigged at previous stages (population census, voter-registration, delimitation of geographical constituencies etc).
I will not vote because I don’t want to contribute in lending legitimacy to those who hijacked the state to their own personal gains, who massacred our fellow citizens in Darfur, who embezzled state resources, who tortured and killed political dissidents. I am talking about President Al-Bashir and his criminal gang known as the National Congress Party.
Anyone near or far realizes that Sudan does not have the minimum requirements for free and fair elections. The legal environment is simply not conducive to any democratic exercise.
The security law offers protection and immunity to those who commit the most heinous of crimes (most recent examples are the killing of the Darfuri Muhammad Musa and the torture of Grifina member Abdullah Mahdi)
Why the US is in support of these farcical elections? This is a good question. I think there is one sentence that sums up the current direction of the US policy on Sudan:
“Sacrificing democracy in the north at the altar of securing peaceful secession for the south”
Gration and the US Administration know very well that these elections are a joke but they support them because they mistakenly believe that President Al-Bashir, if re-elected, will “respect the choice of southern Sudanese to secede” as he promises.
When it comes to short-sighted politics, the US policy on Sudan is a perfect case in point. The US sight does not go farther than January 2011. In my view, the US is just waiting for south Sudan to become an independent state and then act according to the new situation.
This is a deeply flawed policy. Emboldening Al-Bashir and recognizing his re-elections will have serious consequences, not only for Sudan but also for the US in the long run. The US is making a mistake akin to the one it made will be akin when it supported Taliban against the Soviet Union in Afghanistan.
Under Al-Bashir, who never stops spewing and fomenting anti-West sentiment, Sudan faces the risk of becoming “a safe haven for terrorists” which goes against one of the declared objectives of the US policy on Sudan. It’s only under Al-Bashir rule that we saw people kill in the name of Islam and Allah, example is the killing of the USAID officer John Granville.
Also, peaceful secession of south Sudan will not happen, especially under Al-Bashir rule. In history, there is no country that split into two without problems. Most close example to Sudan are Eritrea and Ethiopia.
Deluded is he who believes that Al-Bashir will simply accept to let the south go with its oilfields because the country is now totally dependent on oil revenues. Al-Bashir knows that losing the oil will destabilize economy in the north and eventually jeopardize his own grip on power.
MO
Same question
who is al-bashir?
do not you know?
I can not forget
the victims are not going to forget
freedom is good
voting is great
but…
this is not the case
he will not give us peace
alBashir believes in power
do not you forget
30.06.1989
justice is the best
if we let it go
we will go….
I didn’t vote for President in the Obama/McCain match. I didn’t vote because I didn’t have a preference, and I prefer to leave elections to people who do. Same thing in the Clinton/Gore match. However, I still voted for other state, local and federal candidates. And I voted yes/no on the propositions, if I was able to make sense of what they were about.
Interesting post and interesting comment by MO.
I was invited to register but I declined. So that was/is no voting for me. Why? A farce. Should I at least give them a chance? No, results are pre-determined.
On a different note, do you mind adding my mom’s poetry blog link to your Sudanese blogger’s list? http://karimanzulfo.blogspot.com
Drima, dont take this as a negative, but your stance on Sudanese politics has definitely softened (at least according to what you posted here).
Anyway, I registered and voted. And yep the election was unfair due to NCP’s tight grip on power, but quite frankly its the opposition which infuriate me more than anything. Their actions over the last few weeks in continuously moaning, splitting up into smaller groups, and subsequently boycotting the election (umma & splm) have shown that they are out there for themselves and no-one else.
There are a lot of anti-Bashir tirades appearing out there, most of them justified, but not really new. The problem of Sudan is not just Bashir and the NCP - but its a whole generation of politicians swayed by their self-interests. The opposition parties deserve to be accounted for being so lame, so cynical and so negative in their approach.
I have to agree that the last plausible opposition candidate in Sudan was the Late John Garang. I’m all for positive opposition, those who are able to actively show ‘change’ - by supporting projects in communities, by proactively engaging with the forgotten and needy and by showing democracy themselves and not choosing their party leaders based on family ties or personal wealth. Surely this would be more productive than whingeing endlessly on Aljazeera News.
I pray for this change to happen.
M Osman,
Thanks for the long comment. Very insightful and I hope many readers see it when they scroll down. I agree with your analysis, although, are you really sure that Al-Bashir won’t honor the result of the referendum if the Southerners choose to separate? I find that hard to believe given the havoc it will cause. It will restart the war, which means the NCP can kiss oil-money and investment bye bye.
Btw, this:
“Sacrificing democracy in the north at the altar of securing peaceful secession for the south”
Spot on!
Craig,
I would have been baffled by your logic if you explained it previously. But I can relate now. Although, I would have voted for Obama.
Hipster,
Agreed and yes.
Abdurrahman,
I don’t want to ssay I’m absolutely hopeless and give up. But for now, I have accepted the reality. For now, it really *is* hopeless, although the situation can quickly change once we reach the referendum.
When it comes to Sudan, I’d rather become a successful entrepreneur, and then use my success to uplift communities through things like micro-finance. Gradual bottom up change. People need to be able to feed themselves first. It’s too early for the intellectual stuff and talk about democracy for most people, a lot of whom probably can’t even read and write properly.
Although, I would have voted for Obama.
I voted for Clinton in 1992 as kind of a protest vote against Bush Sr, because I was really unhappy with him. I regretted it, so I don’t do that anymore
Hi again Drima,
Yes I am pretty sure that Al-Bashir will put as many hurdles as he possibly can in the way of south Sudan’s independent state.
It may sound counterintuitive but think about it in light of the following facts:
Al-Bashir’s regime has systematically destroyed all sectors of national income except the oil sector. Agriculture exports and Al-Jazeera project on which Sudan historically relied are no longer generating revenues. Animal exports are on decline. The dearth of oilfields in the north will be depleted in few years, according to latest figures released by the national commission of statistics.
So basically the ruling clique in north Sudan realizes that northern Sudan will be one of the poorest countries in the world if it loses oil. Al-Bashir has no choice but to scuttle south Sudan’s referendum in order to keep the state’s coffers filled with money.
As you wisely pointed out, any attempts to hinder south Sudan from gaining independence will certainly wreak havoc and reignite the war. The disturbing fact is that the next war will not be like previous wars where south Sudan had to be the scene of conflict. South Sudan’s government has been purchasing the most advanced of weapons for the SPLA. The next war will take place in both, Khartoum and south Sudan.
I really hope I am wrong.
MO
I really hope you’re wrong too, MO.
It is indeed devastating and frustrating for me when I think of the Sudan situation. It is complicated to far extremes.
I do agree that Al-Bashir will not let go of the South so very peacefully, he can’t afford losing his wealth and power, which happens to be lying in the Southern lands - ironically. Had he taken good care of the people earlier on, he wouldn’t have had to fight again. Had he taken good care of the northern natural resources and agricultural projects, it would have added to his power and his leadership, in its rich meaning. Neither did he have to rig the elections ?! - I know I am stating the obvious, but maybe someone will finally wake up ?!
And this is what greed does, it will split the one and only Great Sudan into many.
We can only hope the southerners miraculously vote for unity, and we can only hope the referendum won’t be rigged too.
Let’s all pray for a one and better Sudan.
The South will continue to share oil revenues with the North after secession. This arrangement will continue until Bashir is arrested or deposed and the refineries and pipelines are built and southern know how to manage and operate the oil sector becomes proficient.
The South will need outside expertise until they are trained.
Israelis, Indians, Chinese, Brazilians, Turkish, Europeans, and Americans will work out an arrangement for all those interested in the natural resources of the South.
Salam
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