Sudan’s DUP denies supporting al-Bashir re-election for third term

December 10, 2017 (KHARTOUM) – The Democratic Union Party (DUP) has denied that its leader Mohamed Osman al-Mirghani supports the nomination of Sudanese President Omer al-Bashir for a third term in the 2020 elections.

The Sudanese constitution says no president can serve for more than two terms. So, running for a third term requires to amend the constitution but many in the ruling party or the opposition forces are not supportive of such move.

Nonetheless, several calls emerged for al-Bashir reelection for a third term, including the information minister and one of the DUP ministers in the National Consensus Government.

On Sunday several newspapers that in Khartoum quoted a DUP source as saying that al-Mirghani, who is also the guide of the Khatmiyya Sufi order, called for the re-election of President al-Bashir for a third term to “achieve the national consensus and lead the dialogue and reconciliation to its goals and objectives.”

But, a member of the DUP leadership, Ali al-Sayyid, told Sudan Tribune that the statement attributed to al-Mirghani “is false and baseless.”

He added that some circles release statements attributed to the party leader who is living in Cairo for matters related to their interests adding “I am sure that this statement is not true.”

He said the party did not so far discuss the 2020 elections and did not decide whether to nominate a candidate to run for the presidency of the party or to support a candidate of another party.

The DUP is divided over its participation in the government of President Omer al-Bashir after the last elections of 2015. Several factions split from the party since several years some reject the leadership of al-Mirghani and call to distance the party from the Sufi sect.

(ST)