Turabi’s PCP defends Sudan dialogue, calls on Bashir to free detainees
February 16, 2015 (KHARTOUM) – The opposition Popular Congress Party (PCP) of the Islamist leader Hassan al-Turabi called on the president Omer al-Bashir to intervene personally to ensure the release of political detainees, and reiterated its commitment to the national dialogue process.
The National Umma Party, the Reform Now Movement and the Just Peace Forum among others distanced themselves from the dialogue process pointing to the need to implement confidence building measures including release of freedoms, postponement of elections and inclusion of rebel groups.
In a press conference held on Monday, PCP political secretary Kamal Omer scoffed at some parties that accused his party of being enthusiast for the national dialogue more than the ruling party.
“Enthusiasm for the dialogue more than the NCP is a honour for us,” Omer said.
He did not elaborate on why they stick to the process despite the lack of freedoms since more than a year when it was initiated by president Bashir.
However, it was reported that the PCP says there is no other alternative for the political dialogue except war, an option that may lead to more chaos and more destabilisation in the fragile east African country.
The political secretary said that the national dialogue process may be officially launched within one or two weeks, adding an invitation has been extended to the African Union, Arab League and European Union to attend the dialogue.
The dialogue committee is expected to meet president al-Bashir this week, to discuss the matter.
He further minimised the impact of a campaign launched by the opposition forces to boycott the elections with the slogan “Leave”.
“The campaign of Leave and the Sudan Call agreement will not resolve the country’s crises,” he said.
He went further to criticise opposition calls to topple down the regime stressing that “the opposition forces are unanimous only in their hatred of the regime but they have no alternative after its collapse”.
Besides its fears that the fall of Bashir’s regime leads to the somalisation of the country, the Islamist party disagrees with the opposition parties on the role of religion in the post-Bashir constitution.
RELEASE POLITICAL PRISONERS
Kamal further voiced concern over the continued detention of political prisoners and called on the president to intervene personally to secure their release as he had pledged three weeks ago
He stressed that some politicians are detained without legal basis.
The leader of the opposition National Consensus Forces Farouk Abu Issa and a prominent human rights defender Amin Mekki Madani are in detention since 6 December 2014 after the signing of “Sudan Call”, a political declaration calling for a comprehensive peace and democracy in the country, with the rebel groups.
In a meeting with the dialogue forces on 21 January, Bashir gave the green light for their release in line with the framework of the national dialogue which provides to create a political conducive environment before to launch the process.
However, on 1 February the justice minister Mohamed Bushara Dousa, refused to dismiss the charges filed against them and referred their case to court.
Dousa said that his ministry is concerned with the legal aspects not the political positions, pointing that charges filed against Abu Issa and Madani were of criminal nature and are based on legal evidence.
(ST)