Sudan’s Bashir to seek re-election in 2015

President Omar al-Bashir, wanted by the ICC on charges of genocide, chosen as ruling party’s candidate for April polls.

The ICC has issued an arrest warrant for Bashir on charges that he orchestrated atrocities in Darfur [Reuters]

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir – in power since a 1989 coup – will stand for re-election in April 2015 after being retained as the leader of the ruling party, an adviser has said.

Bashir, who is the only sitting head of state wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged war crimes, was re-elected as both leader and presidential candidate of the National Congress Party (NCP) at a party convention, his chief assistant Ibrahim Ghandour said on Tuesday.

Bashir won “266 out of 522” votes, Ghandour told the AFP news agency. “We will present him to the [NCP] general congress just to approve” his candidacy.

Ghandour said Bashir had been chosen out of five candidates.

The 2015 elections for the presidency and national and state parliaments will be only the second since the 1989 coup that brought Bashir to power.

The 70-year-old leader, wanted on charges of genocide and war crimes by the ICC, had previously indicated he would not run for another term.

The ICC has issued an arrest warrant for him on charges that he orchestrated atrocities during the conflict in the western region of Darfur. He dismisses the charges and Sudan refuses to deal with the Hague-based court.

At least 300,000 people have been killed in Darfur and two million people forced to flee their homes since rebels first rose up against the Khartoum government in 2003, the United Nations says.

The government puts the death toll at 10,000.

Source: News Agencies