Sudan’s Burhan’s response to Hemetti: The army would hand over power only to agreed cabinet or after elections

The statements of al-Burhan media adviser Tahir Abu Haja were released by the official news agency SUNA, after a statement by his deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo Hemetti, saying they agreed to hand over power to civilians.Abu Haja said they are committed to the exit of the military institution from politics, as al-Burhan stated on July 4.

He further underscored they would hand over power only to a government of independent, technocrats chosen for their competence without any quotas or power-sharing between political forces.

The second requirement set by al-Burhan, according to Abu Haja, is that a consensus is reached by “all political forces”.

“We will only hand over power to a Government agreed upon by all Sudanese or an elected Government,” he concluded.

Hemetti on Friday said he and al-Burhan had agreed to hand over power to civilians without further indications.

But, the Sovereign Council on September 12, issued a statement saying that Hemetti welcomed the draft transitional constitution, proposed by the Steering Committee of the Sudanese Bar Association.

In their proposal, which is backed by the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC), the Sudanese lawyers say the army’s role will be limited to its participation in the national security council headed by a civilian.

While al-Burhan in his July 4 statement said he would form a supreme military council that, besides security and defence matters, would have some sovereign power in foreign relations and the central bank.

These statements by the two main coup leaders confirm that a power struggle exists between the military leaders nearly one year after the coup.

Al-Burhan who is in a quest for political support in his determination to prevent the FFC’s return to power has gradually restored the former regime to support him and secured the support of two former rebel groups.

In response, Hemetti is seeking a rapprochement with “revolution forces” as he said in his statement of Friday.

Burhan does not intend to hand over power

Speaking to al-Jazeera TV on Saturday evening, the leader of the National Umma Party (NUP) Fadlallah Burma disclosed that al-Burhan told me that he would not render power to civilians before elections.

The army general and NUP acting leader said he met al-Burhan last August to discuss the pledge he made in July and asked him if he seriously intends to hand over power to civilians.

“These civilians are insulting the armed forces, and I cannot hand over power except to an elected (political) force,” al-Burhan said according to Burma.

Last Thursday, al-Burhan met with the ambassadors of the Quad countries and reiterated his pledge to hand over power to civilians.

However, FFC leaders say that the coup leader is “deceitful” and they do not trust his pledge.

The person who carried out the coup is responsible for the deterioration of the political situation in Sudan and the current situation cannot continue, said Burma.

However, he cautioned against any division between the two military leaders and urged them to settle their differences and restore the civilian government to resume the democratic transition in Sudan.

(ST)