| Parliament name |
The National Legislature |
| Structure of parliament |
Bicameral |
| Chamber name (generic / translated) |
Majlis Watani / National Assembly |
| Related chamber (for bicameral parliaments) |
Majlis Welayat / Council of States
|
| BACKGROUND |
| Dates of election / renewal (from/to) (from/to) | 13 April 2015
16 April 2015 |
| Timing and scope of renewal |
President Omar Al-Bashir's National Congress Party (NCP) won both the parliamentary and presidential elections, thereby extending the 71-year-old President's 26-year rule. The Democratic Unionist Party (see note 1), became the second largest force in parliament, while the elections were boycotted by the main opposition parties.
Polling was extended by one day to end on 16 April, mainly due to the low turnout. Mr. Sadiq al-Mahdi, leader of the opposition National Umma Party (NUP) which signed the "Sudan Call" agreement in December 2014 (see note 2), urged voters to boycott both elections, which he termed "fake". Observers from the African Union (AU) stated that turnout had remained low, at around 30-35% of some 13 million registered voters. The election commission said turnout had reached 46.4%.
The 2015 elections were the first to be held after the south became independent in July 2011. They were initially called for 2 April but postponed by 11 days, in an apparent bit to allow a 2014 constitutional amendment to take effect before the elections. The amendment provides that state governors, who used to be elected by the National Assembly, are now to be appointed by the President (see note 3). During the election campaign, many candidates promised to develop the country and to provide better access to water, farmland and jobs.
Note 1:
The former opposition party, now led by Mr. al-Hassan al-Merghani, joined the new NCP-led government, formed in December 2011.
Note 2:
In December 2014, the main opposition coalition, the National Consensus Forces (NCF), the armed rebel alliance Sudan Revolutionary Forces, and the Confederation of Civil Society Organisations (CCSO) signed the "Sudan Call" agreement, which pledged to "dismantle the one-party state regime".
Note 3:
Nominations for election candidates start three months before polling day: these elections, were due to start on 2 January 2015. President Al-Bashir proposed the constitutional amendment concerning state governors on 3 November 2014. The amendment was to come into effect 60 days later - on 2 January 2015. Postponing the elections allowed for the elected state governor positions to be removed before the nomination period for the 2015 election started. The National Assembly approved the constitutional amendments on 4 January 2015.
Note on the statutory number of the National Assembly:
The National Assembly that was elected in April 2010 comprised 450 members. The mandate of parliamentarians from the south was terminated when South Sudan became independent on 9 July 2011. The statutory membership of the National Assembly was thereby reduced from 450 to 354. The statutory number remained at 354 until the end of the parliamentary session.
In June 2014, the National Assembly adopted amendments to the 2008 electoral law. The statutory number of the National Assembly was increased to 426. The percentage of seats reserved for women was also increased from 25 to 30 per cent.
Note on the statutory number of the Council of States:
The previous Council of States, renewed in May 2010, initially comprised 52 members: two members from each of the then 25 states and two observers without voting rights, elected by the Abyei Area Council. The mandate of members from the south was terminated when the South Sudan became independent in 2011. As a result, the statutory membership of the Council of States decreased from 52 to 32 (two members representing each of the remaining 15 states and two non-voting observers from the Abyei Area Council). The 2010 legislature completed its five-year term with that reduced statutory number.
When the Council of States was renewed in June 2015, it comprised 56 members: three members from each of the country's 18 states (including additional states created in Darfur in 2012 and in Kurdufan in 2013) as well as the two non-voting observers from the Abyei Area Council. The state legislatures are required to take gender balance into account when electing their representatives to the Council of States.
|
Date of previous elections: 11 - 15 April 2010
Date of dissolution of the outgoing legislature: Not available.
Timing of election: Upon normal expiry
Expected date of next elections: April 2020
Number of seats at stake: 426 (full renewal)
Number of candidates: 1,072
Percentage of women candidates: Not available.
Number of parties contesting the election: 44
Number of parties winning seats: 20
Alternation of power: No
Date of the first session of the new parliament: 1 June 2015
Name of the new Speaker: Mr. Ibrahim Ahmed Omer (National Congress Party, NCP) |
| STATISTICS |
| Voter turnout |
| Round no 1 (from/to) | 13 April 2015
16 April 2015 |
Number of registered electors
Voters
Blank or invalid ballot papers
Valid votes |
13'126'989
6'091'412 (46.4%)
|
|
Notes
|
|
| Distribution of votes |
|
Round no 1
|
| Political group |
Candidates |
Votes |
|
|
% of votes |
|
|
| National Congress Party (NCP) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Others |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Democratic Unionist Party |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Independents |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| DUP |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Distribution of seats |
|
Round no 1
|
| Political Group |
Total of seats
|
|
|
|
|
| National Congress Party (NCP) |
323
|
|
|
|
|
| Others |
44
|
|
|
|
|
| Democratic Unionist Party |
25
|
|
|
|
|
| Independents |
19
|
|
|
|
|
| DUP |
15
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Distribution of seats according to sex |
Men
Women
Percent of women |
296
130
30.52%
|
| Distribution of seats according to age |
|
|
|
| Distribution of seats according to profession |
|
|
|
| Comments |
Note:
The Democratic Unionist Party is led by Mr. Mohamed Osman al-Mirghani while the DUP (officially, the Democrat Unionist Party) is led by Mr. Jalal al-Digair.
Sources:
National Assembly (11.06.2015)
http://nec.org.sd/
http://www.sudantribune.com
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