Sudan opposition parties revive alliances, calls for new government

May 25, 2009 (KHARTOUM) – An alliance of opposition parties have emerged in Sudan calling for the current government to step down ahead of the February 2010 elections.

The extraordinary move of the 17 parties forming the alliance, will likely increase political tensions as the national assembly is deliberating over some laws that witnessed intense debate between the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) and opposition parties.

The alliance held a meeting with the presence of representatives from the Umma National Party, Democratic Unionist Party, Umma Reform and Renewal Party, Sudanese Communist Party, Popular Congress Part (PCP), and other smaller parties.

The, considered one of the main Northern opposition parties, was not present at the meeting.

The ex-Southern rebel group Sudan People Liberation Movement (SPLM) participated in the meeting with an observer status.

The coordinator and spokesperson of the ‘National Alliance’ Farouk Abu Essa held a press conference in Khartoum saying that running in the upcoming elections is contingent upon ending “freedom restricting laws” and modifying press law and a “good election record”.

The coalition agreed to name one candidate to run for the presidential elections against Sudanese president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir.

Abu Essa further said that census results have to be clear from any “fraud” as another condition.

He lashed out at the NCP saying the ruling party is responsible in large part for the crisis in the country adding that the coalition refuses its hegemony over power and wealth.

The Sudanese parliament member also pointed out at an economic crisis and rising costs of living for ordinary citizens and deteriorating healthcare coverage.

The SPLM Secretary General Pagan Amum invited the coalition members for a conference in the Southern capital of Juba to be held at a future date.

The alliance urged the National Unity to dissolve itself and for a broad based government to b established to prepare for the elections.

“The NCP can be trusted to conduct elections at all because they want to run it their way so they can return back to power” Abu Essa said.

He said that “all options are open” to resist the “undemocratic” situation in the country but did not elaborate.

The NCP political bureau Secretary General Mandoor Al-Mahdi dismissed the call saying that opposition parties do not want to run in the elections because they are worried about “their lack of popularity”.

Al-Mahdi said that no government in the world steps down or dissolves itself before national elections.

He further said that the opposition parties sought to oust the NCP through sanctions, military campaign and the International Criminal Court (ICC) but they failed.

Opposition parties frequently express skepticism over the fairness of the 2010 elections saying that the NCP’s control over the state as well as a package of laws gives it an unfair advantage.

But the NCP said it has no intention of forming a new coalition government before the elections.

The last general election, in April 1986, was won by the Umma party of Sadiq Al-Mahdi, whose government was overthrown in a 1989 coup that brought Al-Bashir to power. In a presidential election boycotted by the opposition and held in December 2000 Bashir secured 86% of votes.

(ST)