Improving Electoral and Political Process for Change in Sudan (IEPP-Sudan)
In August 2020, the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) began implementing the “Improving Electoral and Political Process for Change in Sudan” (IEPP-Sudan) project as part of the Consortium for Elections and Political Process Strengthening (CEPPS). This programming comes at a critical and challenging period, following the overthrow of Omar Al-Bashir, who ruled for 30 years, and the establishment of a transitional government that will guide the country to democratic elections.
Throughout this transition, the IEPP program aims to establish and strengthen the democratic institutions, stakeholders, and processes that will administer transitional elections and lay the foundations for a more peaceful, inclusive, and democratic Sudan
IFES will focus on:
Professionalism and efficacy
Once the election management body (EMB) is established, IFES will support its organizational capacity to administer credible elections. To this end, IFES, acting in coordination with other implementers and with deference to local actors’ willingness to involve external organizations, will offer technical assistance in training a professional staff and conducting internal EMB assessments that inform the body’s institutional improvement.
Transparency and accountability
IFES will advise the EMB on strategies for effective and inclusive public information campaigns that deepen the public’s understanding of and confidence in electoral processes. Mindful that elections are truly democratic only if all people enjoy a transparent and accountable electoral process, IFES will help produce voter education materials that target and are accessible to marginalized groups.
Accessibility and inclusivity
IFES prioritizes the participation and empowerment of marginalized people in electoral processes, with special consideration for youth, women, people with disabilities, internally displaced people, refugees and people in geographically remote areas. Under this program, IFES will research the challenges to marginalized groups’ participation in politics and support the development of inclusive electoral practices, such as the establishment of a working group that facilitates collaboration between the EMB and civil society organizations.
Independence and impartiality
To increase the public’s trust in the electoral framework, IFES will advise the transitional government on incorporating international standards of impartiality, inclusivity, and accessibility into the legal framework and regulatory reforms for elections, referendums and the EMB. IFES will prepare governing institutions to safeguard this trust by working with the Ministry of Justice to determine clear regulations and procedures for election dispute resolution.