Politics is the art of the possible. The Arabs are required by the International Order and the majority of the Arab political systems to always accept the minimum (possible) limit in any field both internally and externally.
This argument has been circulated among the Arabs, with endeavors to render them accustomed to it under the names of political realism, rationalism, or modernity.
But, there is a strange paradox. When it comes to an event such as the elections that took place last week in Sudan, the “ideal” or something close to it then becomes the yardstick strangely, it is the Arab who insists on using that yard stick. Let's look at the facts, and look for indicators  using the Arab  measures of  "realism”  and  “rationalism:  There were  elections  conducted in an Arab country, and,  freely monitored  by tens of local, regional and international organizations.  Were  there any political  or legal clues  that could  show that Sudan  had objections against those organizations or their movements and activities  on  its soil during the polls?  Or, do we usually things as obvious in this part of the world?
Those elections were supervised by the UN through its mission in Sudan, the (UNMIS) which is still posting periodic reports on the internet regarding those elections. They were also monitored by the  European Union,  whose High Representative for Foreign Affairs ,Catherine Ashton,  had issued a   press release   on  the importance of those elections, adding that that  she would, therefore, send one of  her  big missions that she usually dispatch for  such tasks. Moreover, there was a separate and special mission sent by the European Parliament. There was as well, the 30-member team of Carter Center observing Sudan elections countrywide under the chairmanship of the U.S former president, Jimmy Carter, who announced that he would stay in Sudan not only for observing vote counting and ballot results announcement, but to observe the situations in Sudan till the conduction of South Sudan self-determination referendum set for early 2011. Over and above, there   was  the Arab League supervision team , as  well the as the team of the Organization of  Islamic Conference that included two Saudi lady supervisors, namely, Jehan Felmban and Dena Medani,. There was also the European- Arab Independent Supervision Mission, besides, tens of other similar organizations.   
Once again, we or the Arab readers, whom we respect,   would like to ask the following question: Do these facts mean any thing as far as Sudan elections are concerned? Or whether they were ordinary phenomena that deserves no special consideration?
What has been stated above   is the tip of the iceberg of activities and events carried out by international organizations in the Sudan before and during the elections. Indeed, an objective look at it almost suggests that the Sudan was under the focus of the international community because of those elections.
 We will add only one more example so as to allow for tackling the event from other angles. There was an international group called International Media Support that targets promotion of opinion and media freedoms across the world. This organization has, during the months of October and November last year, trained Sudanese journalists from the northern and southern Sudan on how to cover elections, monitor them and verify their integrity. That had happened in cooperation with the UNESCO and UN Fund for Women Empowerment, under the consent of the authorities of the country. Does this mean anything? Or is it also an ordinary phenomenon to which the Arab got accustomed to the extent that it draws no attention whatsoever?
This does not mean that the elections in the Sudan were ideal or represent utmost satisfaction or the end goal in themselves. Rather, they were the fist step on the course of forming the culture of participation and democratic pluralism in respect of   people and regime alike.   Formation of such a culture would not be through forums, articles or mere theorization, but it develops gradually through practice, when that practice is reasonably controlled as has been the case in Sudan. 
Yes, a variety of errors occurred in several locations, but all of the above-mentioned organizations and entities have, at the end of the day, stated elections were successful and free from fraud. Does the regime in Sudan has become so skillful to conspire with all those bodies against the Sudanese people? 
Just months ago, the region witnessed elections in Iran, where the people took to the streets in millions protesting when they felt that the polls had been significantly rigged. Can we claim that the Sudanese folk are not as politically aware as the Iranians, hence can easily be fooled to that extent?
When we mention mistakes, we had better refer to figures: reports stated that faults had occurred in tens of polling stations.  If   we recall that ballot casting was conducted in more than 15,000 stations, mistakes should have been committed in 150 polling stations to give us a percentage as high as 1%.   So, it should not be surprising to  have   the European Parliament MP, Mr. Attard Mutalto saying: “If we want to compare Sudan elections with  Nigeria's of  2007  or  Sierra Leone of 2009,  there would barely  be  any room for comparison. In the Sudan in general and Khartoum in particular, there was much more preparedness.”
Strikingly, the party conducting the ballot admitted occurrence of mistakes.  Was it not surprising to have a regime in the Arab World acknowledging mistakes and pledging to repeat voting in the polling stations that experienced such mistakes? 
 
There are several comments on the political performance of the power in the Sudan during the past two decades, but this does not prevent one from rejecting   the political and media “clowning”  practiced by some Arab voices when it comes to elections in the Sudan. However, much of blame falls on Arab entities, organizations and political parties that persistently called for a degree of freedom of expression and political participation much less than what has happened in Sudan.  Ironically, those Arab parties were largely absent from this event! Please pick up   the fine line that appeared in the Sudan and encourage the culture of reformation, even if you perceive it as minimal. Many believe that this is the fate of the Arab.
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KSA –Almedina Newspaper

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