Election- Al Mirghani speaks out

 The DUP has considerable strength in regions across Sudan. One regional base is in Kassala.

The DUP failed to make any gains in areas considered to be its strongholds with large
populations of the Al-Khatmiya religious sect who are followers of Al-Mirghani, fuelling
suspicions that the votes were rigged.

"The fears of the party were confirmed over the non-readiness and partiality of the NEC and its
branches in the different states.... the electoral commission is not neutral," Al-Mirghani said.

DUP leader Mohamed Osman Al-Mirghani today issued a
strong statement calling for holding of new elections at all levels saying that the current process
"is exposed to fraud and rigging".

Al-Mirghani said that the elections held in the country "did not reflect the [will of] the Sudanese
people, and it is far from being free and fair elections".

In his statement today, Al-Mirghani said that the DUP was aware of the difficulties and
impediments facing the elections but that it believed that its participation would be a step
towards democratic transformation and peaceful exchange of power.

As monitored in UNMIS media monitoring reports, April 19, 2010, from a Sudan Tribune article.