Formation of Sudan new gov’t adjourned until next week

Sept 10, 2005 (KHARTOUM) — Sudan’s ruling party National Congress (NC) and its partner the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) will adjourn the formation of a new government until next week, a leading official announced on Saturday.

Salva Kiir Mayardit, Sudanese first-vice president and SPLM’s leader, said in a press statement that the new national unity government will be formed within a week.

Meanwhile, Kiir said the government of southern Sudan will be formed after the approval of the transitional constitution of the south.

It was earlier expected that the new Sudanese government would be agreed upon by the end of this week.

But the NC and SPLM have reportedly locked in disputes over who would charge the ministries of energy and mining, posing an obstacle towards the formation of the transitional government.

The Sudanese government and the SPLM reached a comprehensive peace deal in January, ending 21 years of civil war between the north and south which killed more than 2 million people in the country.

(Xinhua/ST)