Sudan’s NCP blames Umma Party for failure of talks
December 3, 2011 (KHARTOUM) – The ruling National Congress Party (NCP) in Sudan defended its performance during negotiations with the opposition National Umma Party (NUP) saying it made a “tempting offer” to lure it into joining the government.
However, the NUP led by former prime minister al-Sadiq al-Mahdi refused to join, though his eldest son Abdel-Rahman was sworn in as presidential assistant. The opposition party insisted that Abdel-Rahman is not an NUP member and took the job in his personal capacity only.
The Sudanese presidential adviser Mustafa Osman Ismail said today on a TV talk show that the NCP has been keen on bringing the NUP on board and recounted the meetings that took place between the two sides.
Ismail who led the NCP delegations for talks with NUP said that the two sides had an 80% agreement on the “national agenda”.
When the subjects were changed to participation and the constitution that governs the interim period, Ismail said that the NUP proposed scrapping the constitution something which the NCP rejected.
Ismail said the NCP argument was that the constitution was endorsed by many political powers that were in the parliament at the time.
The NCP official also disclosed that they made offers to the NUP that they didn’t give to other parties but declined to go into details. He also said that 13 NUP leading figures in different part of the country endorsed participation while only those in Khartoum and Red Sea states rejected it.
The NCP is expected to form the new cabinet soon after months of delays while negotiations with NUP and DUP were ongoing.
(ST)