Sudan 1996: A “Different Spirit” of Democracy

In March 1996, Sudan held its first nationwide general elections since the 1989 military coup that brought General Omar Hassan al-Bashir and his Islamic backers to power. The voting for President and a new parliament in Africa's largest country took place over several days and I was in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, to report on the electoral process.

There are few visible signs of electioneering in Khartoum and activity at the city's polling places has been noticeably slack. Leaders of Sudan's banned opposition parties say that is because the people know the voting is a sham.

“It is really a complete farce to call it elections. This is a showpiece, a window showpiece that has nothing to do with genuine elections and it is the same that dictators everywhere do.”

That is Sadeq al-Mahdi, the Sudanese prime minister overthrown seven years ago when General Bashir took power. He and Sudan's other major opposition leaders are boycotting the vote, charging the process is neither free nor fair.

Mr. Madhi acknowledges that 40 candidates are challenging General Bashir for the presidency under the country's new non-party system. But he claims that is worth little more than a possible entry in the Guinness book of world records. He describes the other contenders as a collection of political unknowns and lightweights.

In his words, it is a show not worth seeing.

Still, the Bashir government has gone out of its way to publicize the voting, in which representatives to a new, 400-seat Parliament are also being chosen. Official election observers, mainly from Arab and African countries, have been invited to watch the voting process. Sudanese authorities also encouraged international journalists to apply for visas and have allowed them unprecedented access to report on the balloting.

But with the outcome of the voting considered a foregone conclusion, Sudanese authorities have had to face tough questions about the exercise.

The Islamic intellectual considered the real power behind the Bashir government, Hassan al-Turabi, says it comes as no surprise to him that Sudan's experiment in developing what he calls a new political model is under fire, both at home and abroad. But he says he is not concerned.

“Every new rise of a civilization in history is normally encircled by the old regimes, internally and externally, and they want to crush it so to maintain the old strategic balance of interests. And if this newly born upsurge of civilization (Sudan) will maintain itself and assert its independence, ultimately by pragmatism others will deal with it pragmatically because it is a very rich country, one of the richest countries in the world. And now it is moving powerfully forward toward a political model and we don't just copy Westminster model or French or American. It's close to democracy, yes, but it's a different spirit.”

Authorities here say the new, non-party system is aimed at minimizing tribal, sectarian and regional allegiances and eliminating what they consider such negative influences as money and political affiliation in the campaigning process.

Critics in the small western diplomatic community charge it is simply a system designed to perpetuate the grip on power of the country's Islamic rulers -- rulers seeking the mantle of legitimacy associated with elections because they have become increasingly isolated internationally over their policies. These include the Khartoum government's continued prosecution of a long and costly civil war with Christian and Animist rebels in southern Sudan and its alleged support for Muslim militant groups from abroad.

Still, Sudanese officials scoff at the notion that they are close to collapse because of mounting pressure from the world community. Some hint at fence-mending efforts after the elections in a bid to attract development aid and investment.

But others, like Mr. Turabi, say they welcome the challenge of isolation. He argues it will help Sudan become more self-reliant as it goes its own way.