The Carter Center Notes Concerns With Security in South Kordofan, Progress in Polling Preparations

The Carter Center is concerned by recent deteriorations in South Kordofan's security environment and calls on all sides to promote a genuine and credible polling process for the state. Although the recently concluded candidate nomination period was largely conducted transparently, efficiently, and peacefully, there have been worrying developments during the campaign period. In particular, The Carter Center is concerned about the armed conflict that broke out in El Faid and reportedly resulted in dozens of casualties. Continuing tensions between rival candidates in certain areas could negatively affect voter turnout, impact the results, and therefore reduce the credibility of the electoral process.

With the conclusion of the campaign period fast approaching, it is critical that the Government of Sudan, Government of Southern Sudan (GoSS), state authorities, political parties, and other stakeholders work together to diminish tensions in South Kordofan refrain from negative campaign rhetoric, and promote peaceful participation in the electoral process. To this end, the Center also encourages the GoSS to release gubernatorial candidate Telefon Kuku to campaign in accordance with his political rights prescribed under the National Elections Act or announce formal charges that justify his continued detention. Despite flaws noted in regard to candidate nominations and campaigns, there remains an important window before the start of polling for all sides to commit to ensuring a genuine, credible election that reflects the will of the people of South Kordofan.

The Center commends the National Elections Commission and State High Election Committee on progress with electoral preparations and the institution of improved complaints measures. The Center appeals to all political contestants to raise concerns or complaints regarding the process to the election authorities so that they may be dealt with in accordance with the law.

Deployment
The Carter Center will deploy 24 observers to monitor the South Kordofan gubernatorial and state legislative elections starting on May 2. These include a core team of analysts as well as long-term observers who have been in South Kordofan observing the voter registration and campaign periods. They will be joined by short-term observers to observe the last day of the campaign, polling, counting, and tabulation processes. Observers will be deployed in teams of two in seven localities around the state. They will travel to a number of different polling centers and constituencies over the course of the election. The observation mission represents 14 different nations including Denmark, Egypt, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Kenya, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Uganda, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Zimbabwe.

The Center has maintained a presence in South Kordofan since November 2009, initially observing voter registration for the April 2010 elections. The Carter Center released a statement on the voter registration process for the South Kordofan elections on March 24, 2011, based on observations in 19 of the state's 32 constituencies. The full report, available at www.cartercenter.org, covers the nomination and campaign periods. The Carter Center plans to release a report on the electoral process after results have been tabulated.

The Carter Center assesses electoral processes in Sudan based on Sudan's obligations in the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement, Sudan's Interim National Constitution, the National Elections Act, the Political Parties Act, as well as Sudan's international treaty obligations. The objectives of the Center's observation mission in South Kordofan are to provide an impartial assessment of the overall quality of the electoral process, promote an inclusive process for all in South Kordofan, and demonstrate international interest in the electoral process.

The Center's observation mission is conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation and Code of Conduct that was adopted at the United Nations in 2005 and has been endorsed by 35 election observation groups. The Center will release periodic public statements on referendum findings, available on its website. what do you think about these elections?

Southwest plane skids off runway

A Southwest Airlines plane slid off a runway Tuesday during heavy rain at Chicago Midway International Airport, the airline said.
Southwest Flight 1919 had just landed en route from Denver when the Boeing 737-700 ran off the runway, the airline said in a statement posted on its Web site. There were no immediate reports of injuries, it said.
The report is the latest in a series of embarrassing incidents for Southwest Airlines, which came under scrutiny earlier this month when a ruptured fuselage ripped a hole in one of its B-737s at 34,000 feet and then again when reports surfaced that one of its planes came within 176 yards of a small aircraft.
The National Transportation Safety Board said in a statement it was investigating Tuesday's incident.
There were 134 passengers and five crew members on board at the time of the incident, the NTSB said.
"The passengers have been safely deplaned from the aircraft using air stairs and have been bused to the terminal," the airline statement said.
The Dallas-based airline grounded 79 of its 737s for inspection this month after a fuselage rupture punched a hole in Southwest Flight 812 while it was en route to Phoenix, causing a rapid depressurization of the plane. The flight crew conducted an emergency descent, landing at Yuma International Airport. No one was seriously hurt, officials said.
Investigation looks at paint and rivet holes
That was followed by a report that a Southwest pilot, responding to a request by an air traffic controller, pulled a plane within 176 yards of a small aircraft to check on the occupants after they failed to acknowledge radio traffic. The controller and the pilot have been suspended while federal investigators determine if the two violated the Federal Aviation Administration's minimums for separation of aircraft.
Southwest Airlines did get some good news Tuesday from the Department of Justice, which approved its acquisition of AirTran Airways. Southwest has offered to buy the airline for $1.4 billion.
The Department of Justice's Antitrust Division said it closed its investigation Tuesday into Southwest's proposed purchase of AirTran, saying it determined that the merger "is not likely to lessen competition."

Southwest Airlines, which reported revenues of $12.1 billion in revenue in 2010, serves 72 cities in the United States. Orlando-based AirTran reported revenues of $2.6 billion. It flies to 69 cities in the United States, Mexico and the Caribbean.How best can this mishap be curtailed?

Pipeline carrying natural gas to Israel, Jordan explodes in Egypt

A pipeline that sends natural gas from Egypt to Israel and Jordan exploded early Wednesday morning, prompting the shutoff of outbound gas.
Ayman Jahin, general manager of Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company, confirmed that gas has been switched off to Israel and Jordan.
The cause of the blast was not immediately known, and no injuries were immediately reported.
The explosion took place in a suburb of the Egyptian Sinai town of El Arish. Jahin said a committee traveled from Cairo to El Arish on Wednesday to assess the damage.
In February, a gas pipeline in El Arish that sent natural gas to Jordan was set on fire, officials said.
The state-run MENA news agency said the February incident was a suspected terrorist attack.

It was not clear whether that incident was connected to the political unrest in Egypt. Or is the world still experienced another crisis in Egypt?

obinna Okpokiri, another corps member who was killed in the post election violence in Bauchi

 

Obinna like Ukeoma was dragged out of his corpers lodge, beaten, butchered and set on fire on Sunday April 17th by those bastards CPC fanatics in Bauchi State. Can you wish this kind of death on your worst enemy? Can you even begin to imagine the terror these corpers would have faced minutes before their brutal murders? To think Obinna left London to do his NYSC in Nigeria.

These young men can't die in vain. Their killers must be brought to book. Knowing the way our government operate in matters like this, their deaths will probably be swept under the carpet...just like others in the past...so how do we ensure that this doesn't happen this time?

This is not enough but there is a petition for the immediate withdrawal of Youth Corps members from trouble-prone states. 

What else can we do as youths of this country?