April 25, 2010 (JUBA) – The main independent
challenger to the Unity state’s winning caretaker governor
in the gubernatorial race, Angelina Teny, said she will
neither “accept” nor “recognize” the elections results in
the Sudan’s oil-rich state which she described as “rigged”
and “untrue.”
While
the state’s declared winner, Taban Deng Gai, celebrated his
victory amid violence and insecurity that marked the
announcement by the local electoral body in the state, Mrs.
Teny who lost condemned the violence that followed and what
she said was the subsequent torture of her supporters by the
state authorities.
She explained that a number of her
supporters, some who are tribal chiefs, were arrested in
Parieng on Friday and that her political office has also
been closed in the county.
Mrs. Teny added that she was leaving Unity
State with many grievances over how the electoral process
was conducted and worries for her supporters.
Meanwhile, the elected governor of Unity
State, Taban Deng Gai, called on his rival to accept the
electoral results as the situation has now calmed down in
the state.
Taban added that his victory is also a
victory for his party, the Sudan People’s Liberation
Movement (SPLM).
He further added that the victory was a
payback for the struggle and war that the SPLM endured.
OTHER PARTIES CANDIDATES DISPUTE THE
RESULTS
Several political parties whose candidates
also contested for the governorship position in Unity state
have joined Angelina Teny in disputing the results, saying
Taban’s victory was not based on the actual results reported
by their respective agents from all the centers which ballot
papers were counted.
They have called on the Chairman of the
National Elections Commission (NEC) Abel Alier to intervene
and correct the situation.
The parties in a joint released statement
said there were widespread rigging in the polling process
and called for a re-count of the ballot papers.
Preliminary results from eight out of nine
counties in the state indicated that Mrs. Teny was leading
the incumbent governor by more than 24,000 extra votes.
The figure announced however indicated
that the SPLM candidate and current caretaker governor,
Taban received 137,662 votes whereas the former SPLM
official, turned independent, Angelina Teny, received 63,
561 votes.
An official close to Mrs. Teny’s campaign
team said she may consider challenging the results legally
in the court of law and win the case.
Mrs. Teny is the current state minister of
Energy and Mining in the Government of National Unity in
Khartoum and wife of the Vice President of the Government of
Southern Sudan, Dr. Riek Machar Teny.
(ST)