‘Just Noticing’: Observations Of A Blogger
Posted by Michelle Moquin on April 25th, 2010
‘Just noticing’…
…that with all that was on my mind yesterday, I realized I was not up to date on the Sudan elections.
Yesterday, I encouraged all of you to send a letter to Hillary Clinton encouraging her to continue to fight for the people of Sudan supporting the fact that the elections were not free and fair. When I went to send my letter, I realized that I missed the inportant fact the US had already rejected Bashir’s victory and was already moving forward to ensure our government holds all parties in Sudan accountable for fulfilling their obligations to the Sudanese people. I guess I was a little behind on the times, which I am sure many of you noticed. My apologies.
Here’s the latest just in case you, like me, fell behind:
Despite international demands for free and fair elections, indicted war criminal Omar al-Bashir is preparing to claim victory in what you and I both know was a rigged vote.
If Bashir’s “victory” is recognized by the international community, it will only embolden the regime in Khartoum and deal a serious blow to the peace process.
You raised your voice with 70,000 other activists, andAssistant Secretary of State P.J. Crowley has already declared that “this was not a free and fair election,” adding that, “to the extent that the Government of Sudan was looking for redemption or legitimacy in what happened here, they will get none of it.”
Rejecting the results of this fraudulent vote is an important first step, but now it’s time to hold the responsible parties accountable.
While much of the world is prepared to accept this sham election and just move on, we must not abandon the people of Sudan who have put themselves at great personal risk to stand up for democracy and basic freedoms.
We must continue to raise our voices for all of those who did not have a chance to speak out during this fraudulent election. For the university student who was harassed and murdered after speaking out against the government. For the election observers who were kidnapped and beaten. For the thousands of Darfuris who continue to live in squalid camps and didn’t have the opportunity to participate. For them, we must continue to insist that the international community pressure the government in Khartoum to fulfill its obligation under the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) to provide for a democratic transformation of the country.
These elections should have been the first chance in more than two decades for millions of Sudanese to freely choose their leaders. Instead, the Sudanese government ensured that a lack of political freedoms and a continued crisis in Darfur eliminated that opportunity.
If the government of Sudan continues to inhibit basic political rights and freedoms, the stage will be set for widespread violence during the referendum on southern succession. If civil war is to be avoided, both the governments of North and South Sudan must recommit themselves to protecting personal liberty and freedom in order for the referendum to be credible. These are not just lofty ideals – they are obligations that both parties agreed upon in the CPA. As a guarantor of the CPA, it is the responsibility of the United States to hold those who presided over fraudulent elections accountable and take all steps to further democracy in Sudan and protect the integrity of the 2011 referendum.
We must not remain silent. Send Secretary Clinton a message today and speak out for the people of Sudan.
Not judging…’Just noticing’, I am a human; I make mistakes. :)
On a more local note, just a little reminder, today is the day of camp OFA. I’m excited to learn and be a part of it. Here’s your chance to do something more too.
As we continue fighting for the President’s agenda and gear up for the elections in the fall, we need to make sure we’re all ready to organize as effectively as possible.
We’re holding Camp OFA training sessions across the country, to make sure that OFA supporters like you have the skills you’ll need to make it happen. You’ll hear from local community organizers, volunteers, and staff on the best ways to organize local events and build neighborhood teams, how to make the case for the President’s agenda for change, and what OFA is planning to do in the months ahead.
To find a camp near you click here.
Readers: Join me – let’s ensure our success in November and beyond. If you’re in my neighborhood, I’ll look forward to seeing you!
Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my ‘loyal’(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.
Peace out….
Gratefully your blog host,
michelle
Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)
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