Understanding Sudan’s electoral system: Principles of representation

Following the overthrow of President Omar al-Bashir in April 2019, Sudan began a process to transition to democracy. This is intended to include the creation of new legislative and judicial institutions, culminating in the holding of elections (tentatively scheduled for late 2022). Key amongst the challenges to address in the preparation of elections are the principles of representation and demarcation, which have been hotly contested in Sudan’s previous polls. This briefing paper discusses how previous electoral systems in Sudan have addressed three key questions about representation and identifies some lessons that can be drawn from these in planning for the next elections.