Sudan’s NCP endorses proposal to extend Bashir’s leadership for 5 years

May 8, 2013 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan’s ruling National Congress Party ‘NCP) approved on Tuesday a proposition aiming to amend its statute and to extend the term of the leader from four to five years.

NCP secretary of women’s affairs Samia Ahmed Mohamed told reporters in Khartoum that the proposal will be submitted to the Shura Council, the only organ entitled to amend the statute of the party.

Such amendment means the extension of Bashir’s leadership of the party for an additional year.

Initially the ruling party had to elect a new leader next year before the presidential election scheduled for May 2015.

But Bashir, 68 year old, announced that March he intends to step down in 2015, after rumours about his health following surgery operations on his vocal cords in Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

Samia stressed that the extension will be implemented with an immediate effect.

She however denied that this step would be an attempt to allow President Omer Al-Bashir to run for another mandate.

Last March Bashir who ruled the country for 23 years said “Sudanese people are looking for fresh blood and a new impetus”.

The party seems divided and some factions loudly demand since last year to reform the party and reunite the Islamists factions including the popular Congress Party of Hassan Al-Turabi.

Also, the security services in November 2012 arrested some radical islamist military accused of organizing a coup d’état against the regime.

(ST)