UNDP Corruption in Sudan Elections

Sudan opposition demand probe into ballot printing

17 Mar 2010 19:38:49 GMT

Source: Reuters

* Opposition demand probe into ballot printing contract

* Rebukes U.N. for not reporting irregularity

By Opheera McDoom

KHARTOUM, March 17 (Reuters) - Sudan's opposition on Wednesday demanded an investigation into how a government company won a tender to print ballots, raising fears of fraud ahead of April's presidential and legislative elections.

Sudan will hold its first multi-party vote in 24 years, a key part of a 2005 north-south peace deal which ended more than two decades of bitter civil war fought over ethnicity, ideology, oil and religion.

A source close to the procurement process told Reuters the U.N. Development Programme (UNDP), which was charged with overseeing the tenders, had planned to award a contract to print the presidential and gubernatorial ballots to a Slovenian company but the National Electoral Commission (NEC) intervened and gave it to a local government firm.

"This has added to our fears that something has been cooked already," opposition presidential candidate Mubarak al-Fadil told Reuters, asking the NEC to publish details of its tender process.

The controversy is likely to be a major setback for the vote, with opposition parties increasingly complaining the NEC is biased towards incumbent President Omar Hassan al-Bashir's ruling party. The NEC was appointed by the two leading political parties in government.

The opposition said they were concerned about possible corruption in the NEC's finances and that the government firm, which also prints Sudan's currency, could print illegal ballot papers.

They also criticised the U.N. mission in Sudan, which advises the NEC, for not reporting what they called irregularities in the award of the contract.

The United Nations in a statement denied any involvement in the award of the third contract.

"The decision to print ballots inside Sudan for executive offices, which include presidential and governors' elections, was taken by (the) NEC on its own initiative," it said.

The NEC says the contract awards were a joint process with the United Nations.

UNDP did award two other contracts for printing ballots for the national and state parliaments to South African and British firms the source, who declined to be named, said.

Deputy head of the NEC Abdallah Ahmed Abdallah told Reuters the Slovenian company could not print the papers in time if there was a second round of presidential elections.

If no one wins more than 50 percent of the vote, a second round will be held between the top two candidates three weeks after the results.

He added there were checks to stop ballot box stuffing.

"Any ballot paper without the stamp of the officer in the centre and his signature will not be valid," he said.

The NEC's Abdallah said nine companies were shortlisted by UNDP including the Sudanese government company, a private Sudanese company and other foreign companies.

Al-Fadil said he had seen reports from the NEC that the government company's bid was as high as $4 million dollars whereas the Slovenian company had bid $800,000 for the contract. The NEC denied the numbers but could not provide other figures.

"We want a serious investigation into this matter," presidential candidate Yasir Arman from the former southern rebel Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) told Reuters. "They have given the sheep to the fox," he added.

(Editing by Elizabeth Fullerton)