Sudan SPLM slam Bashir’s remark on political ban

June 1, 2009 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudan People Liberation Movement (SPLM) reacted angrily to statements by president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir over the weekend threatening to ban the southern Sudan ruling party from operating in the northern part of the country if it does not remove the restrictions imposed on the other political parties in the south.

The Sudanese president addressing a meeting for the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) to treat the SPLM reciprocally and barring it from political activities in northern Sudan if it persists in its policy of restricting the activities of the other political parties while it has the freedom to exercise political activities in northern Sudan.

The SPLM Secretary General Pagan Amum told the London based Al-Sharq Al-Awsat that Bashir’s statements “reflects the panic of the growing popular support to the movement in all states”.

Amum said “there are more political freedoms in the South than the North. All parties in South carry out their activities freely”.

He warned that Bashir’s threats imply an intention of a return to authoritarian rule in Sudan and a violation to the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) vowing to mobilize the people against any such move.

The CPA partners, the SPLM and NCP, are strained over census results and dispute over draft laws to be adopted by the national assembly.

Amum accused the NCP of slowing down the draft referendum law adoption saying that the parliament will not adjourn unless it is done with.

He further said that the next 19 months are critical for Sudan existence calling for secular democratic state and called for defeating the NCP in the next 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.

Last month an alliance of 17 Sudanese opposition parties have threatened to boycott elections unless changes are made to “freedom restricting laws” including press law and the existence of a “good election record”.

But some observers say that despite its reservations opposition parties will be hesitant to boycott the elections leaving the NCP with the potential for a landslide victory.

(ST)