In Sudan,the semi-autonomous south said it is ready for the planned national electionsonce the newly appointed independent electoral commission decides on the date.
The Sudan parliament approved the electoral commission last month to conductnational elections by next year July in fulfillment of the 2005 ComprehensivePeace Agreement.
But a senior member of the ruling National Congress Party,Nafi Ali Nafi reportedly accused opposition political parties of seeking topostpone the elections so that the opposition can raise the issue of forming abroader coalition government.
Pagan Amum is SecretaryGeneral of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) and Minister forCabinet Affairs in the Government of National Unity of Sudan. He told VOAthe SPLM wants to win the elections to form the nextnational government of Sudan.
"SPLM has made its positionvery clear. We are ready to participate in the elections when the date ofelection is declared by the electoral commission. It is only the electoralcommission that has the power set the date of election and / or to postponethese elections," he said.
Senior member of the rulingNational Congress Party, Nafi Ali Nafi reportedly accused opposition politicalparties of seeking to postpone the elections so that the opposition could raisethe issue of forming a broader coalition government.
Amum said only the rulingNational Congress has reasons to call for postponement of the elections.
"It is only the NationalCongress who should be interested in the postponement of elections. So hecannot be accusing political parties, who are not in the government, to callfor the postponement of elections. The only party that is interested in thepostponement of elections is the National Congress because they know they havebeen the incumbent party for about 19 years. They know their popularity hasalso waned since long," Amum said.
He denied any knowledge of aUnited Nations panel of experts reportedly telling South Sudan to considerpostponing the elections, originally scheduled for July 2009 to the end of theyear.
"I have no information ofthe U.N. advising the government of southern Sudan. But if the U.N. has anyexpert opinion this should be directed to the electoral commission which is theonly body that has the power to determine the day of the election or topostpone them for technical reasons," he said.
Amum reiterated that SPLMwas ready to participate in the elections.
"The SPLM is ready tocontest these elections, and it's offering itself, its program and manifesto tothe Sudanese people, and our aim is to win the absolute majority of the vote ofour people so that we form the next government at the national level, at thelevel of Southern Sudan and also at the state level," Amum said.
The Sudan parliamentapproved the electoral commission last month, and Amum said he was confidentthe commission could conduct free and fair elections.
"This is a question that youcan put to the electoral commission itself, but we are confident that theelectoral commission, the way it has been composed, is a credible body. It'scomposed of very experienced statesmen, people who are known for theirintegrity," he said.
Amum appealed to theinternational community to provide support to the electoral commission, theSudan government and political parties so facilitate a free and fair election.