Sudan’s constitution drafting committee to be formed this month: minister

April 14, 2018 (KHARTOUM) – The Higher Coordination Committee to Follow-Up on the Implementation of the Dialogue Outcome said it would meet at the end of the month to form the higher committee for drafting the permanent constitution.

The minister of information and member of the committee Ahmed Bilal Osman on Friday said President Omer al-Bashir would preside over the upcoming meeting which is expected to endorse the references for drafting the constitution.

He pointed out that the release of the political prisoners and the upcoming meeting with the Darfur rebels in Germany aims to achieve common understandings on issues of peace and the constitution.

Osman added that most of the political forces have agreed to draft the constitution before the 2020 elections, saying the next period would witness significant work to engage the Sudanese on the drafting of the permanent constitution.

In October 2016, the political forces participating in the government-led national dialogue concluded the process by signing the National Document which includes the general features of a future constitution to be finalised by transitional institutions.

The National Consensus Government (NCG) was installed in May 2017 to implement the outcome of the dialogue conference.

The opposition groups boycotted the national dialogue because the government didn’t agree to a humanitarian truce with the armed groups and due to its refusal to implement a number of confidence-building measures aiming to create a conducive environment in the country before to hold the inclusive dialogue.

(ST)