Sudan’s Bashir wins NCP nomination for president

Sudan’s ruling National Congress Party (NCP) elected Field Marshal Omar al-Bashir as party chairman and candidate for president in the upcoming April 2015 elections.

Sudan’s ruling National Congress Party (NCP) elected Field Marshal Omar al-Bashir as party chairman and candidate for president in the upcoming April 2015 elections.

On Monday, the party’s Leadership Council selected five nominees to compete for the chairmanship and candicacy.

The nominees were referred to the Shura Council which narrowed the nominees to one name to be submitted to the General Convention for final endorsement.

The other competitors were first vice-president Bakri Hassan Saleh, former vice-president Ali Osman Taha, former presidential assistant Nafie Ali Nafie, and presidential assistant Ibrahim Ghandour.

Ghandour announced in a press statement to the Sudanese News Agency (SUNA) Tuesday after the voting and tallying process at Al-Zubair Mohamed Saleh Hall in Khartoum that al-Bashir won.

Ghandour noted that al-Bashir received 266 votes of 396 members of the Shura Council. He added that quorum was complete and was higher than 75% +1 of the total of 522 members.

He said Bashir’s name will be submitted to the General Convention for endorsement as chairman of the NCP party.

Ghandour explained that the required average is 50% +1 of the total of the Shura Council members and that the percentage of vote obtained by president Bashir through a ballot box was higher.

The leading NCP figure described the process as democratic and transparent.