DUP faction challenges Mirghani’s decision to participate in elections
January 11, 2015 (KHARTOUM) – A group from the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) announced today that they will not participate in the general elections scheduled for next April despite its leader Mohamed Osman al-Mirghani’s decision to support president Omer Hassan al-Bashir’s new run for office.
Furthermore, the DUP official in charge of states Mohamed al-Muatassim Hakim announced that the party will participate in the elections but not the presidential one as they are backing Bashir.
The dissenting group calling itself “DUP Movement of masses and sectors” that is led by Sheikh Hassan Abu-Sabeeb also declared the composition of a transitional politburo and complete boycott of the elections and pulling out of participation in the government.
Yesterday a DUP official told Sudan Tribune that a group of party leaders met in the home of Abu-Sabeeb in Omdurman to discuss al-Mirghani’s announcement.
The group also slammed al-Mirghani’s son Mohammed al-Hassan saying he has been working on the marginalization of DUP leaders and the party base and negotiating with the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) without consulting its leaders.
This week, some local newspapers in Khartoum spoke of two secret meetings between Bashir and al-Hassan to discuss the DUP’s position on the elections.
Abu-Sabeeb said at a press conference at his home in Omdurman on Sunday that they categorically reject the party’s participation in the elections even if it was upon orders from al-Mirghani himself.
He said the NCP offering not to compete in 30% of constituencies to allow the opposition parties to gain them contrary to democracy and eliminates the role of the National Elections Commission (NEC).
“Why are elections held if you are handing out constituencies?…As if the NCP won all the constituencies and wants to give charity to other political forces,” Abu-Sabeeb said.
He stressed that most of the DUP leaders are completely sidelined from everything that goes on in the party which is now managed by only four people.
The DUP leading figure Ali Nayil blasted al-Hassan Al-Mirghani saying they had pinned hopes on him but has disappointed after he sat down with the NCP and is responding positively to the views of the participants in the government and power-thirsty people.
He also accused the NCP of conspiring against the DUP and embracing Ahmed Saad Omer group.
“We will not be silent and we will not let the party die and end as wanted by al-Tayeb al-Mustafa, who are part of the ruling regime,” Nayil said.
“Contesting in the elections will lead to the end of the DUP and will be a stain on the brow of the party,”he added.
The DUP left opposition ranks and joined the “broad-based” government of the NCP in December 2011, citing the “need to save the country” in the words of al-Mirghani himself.
The decision of one of Sudan’s biggest opposition parties to join the government has created a great deal of internal dissent that saw many members quitting in protest. The party received three ministries in the federal cabinet.
(ST)