Sudan

Political Party Strengthening Programme in Sudan

Project Background

The Comprehensive Peace Agreement in Sudan, signed between the government and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) in January 2005, is paving the way for a transition to multi-party democratic elections in 2009. Despite the long tradition of active political parties in the country, the challenges that they face in the transition period are many. The civil wars in the South, East and West have undermined both the role and capacity of political parties.

Sudanese Political party representatives at the training workshop on "Policy & Manifesto Development", Sudan February 2008
Photo: Ryan Barker

In July 2006 International IDEA began a three year project in Sudan called the Political Party Strengthening Programme in Sudan. The project is a partnership lead by International IDEA together with EISA, the Canadian Parliamentary Centre and Partners in Development Services (PDS) in Sudan. The project is funded by a grant from DFID through the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO).

Activities so far have included various workshops held in Khartoum, Sudan:

• 25-27 February 2008: Political Party Training Workshop on Party Policy and Manifesto Development
• 8-10 December 2007: Political Party Training Workshop on Political Parties Finance and Funding
• 27-30 October 2007: Political Party Training Workshop on Political Parties Finance and Funding
• 21 July 2007: 1-Day Workshop on Democracy in the Arab World
• 28 June 2007: 1-Day Workshop on Elections Systems: Challenges and Choices
• 24-27 June 2007: Political Party Training Workshop Internal Democracy and Inclusion (women, youth & minorities) in Political Parties
• 21-23 May 2007: Political Party Training Workshop on Internal Democracy in Political Parties
• 26-28 February 2007: Political Party Training Workshop Media External Environment
• 27 January 2007: Press Conference to launch the project.
• 23-25 January 2007: Capacity-Building Workshop on Political Party Models, attended by representatives from Sudan’s six main political parties (see above).
• 17 December 2006: Workshop on Elections: Law and Regulations; the draft Electoral Law. The workshop was attended by international electoral experts, political parties’ representatives, academics and students, civil society, women leaders and the media.
• 16 November 2006: Roundtable discussion on Political Parties Law in Sudan: Toward Bridging Differences and Arriving at a Consensus, attended by representatives of political parties, the group of experts who drafted the Parties’ Law, civil society organizations and the press.

The project is administered from the International IDEA Sudan Project office in Khartoum. Please click here for the office contact details. Read more...