FFC, Hamdok reach deal on Sudan’s transitional cabinet
September 4, 2019 (KHARTOUM) – The Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) in Sudan said that the transitional government will be formally announced on Thursday after the completion of consultations on the list of nominees for the ministerial posts.
“The prime minister met with the Sovereign Council to formally approve the ministerial nominations.”
On Tuesday, Hamdok received a list of 15 ministers while it was not possible to agree on three ministries, “infrastructure, local government, livestock,” but the forces of change were able to finalize the list of 18 ministers, including 4 women, after tense meetings.
Sources told “Sudan Tribune” Wednesday that Prime Minister Hamdok received the final list of ministers from the ruling coalition.
According to a list seen by the Sudan Tribune, the following are to be appointed in the contentious ministries: Ahmed Mohamed Taher will be appointed Minister of Infrastructure, Mutasim Mahmoud Minister of Livestock, and Youssef Adam Aldai, Minister of Federal Government.
The sources pointed out that the Prime Minister held a meeting with the Council of Sovereignty to approve the list of nominees before to announce it officially on Thursday.
Later, the Sovereign Council adopted the list of the transitional cabinet presented by the Prime Minister after adding the Ministers of Interior and Defence nominated by the military component of the Sovereign Council.
According to the list of nominees include Asma Mohamed Abdallah, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ibrahim Badawi Minister of Finance, Akram Ali Altom Minister of Health, and Nasr al-Din Abdel Bari Minister of Justice.
Walaa Essam Al Boushi, Minister of Youth and Sports, Mohamed al-Amin Altom, Minister of Education, Madani Abbas Madani, Minister of Industry and Commerce, Adel Ibrahim Minister of Energy and Mining, Yasser Abbas, Minister of Irrigation and Water Resources, and Issa Osman Sharif, Minister of Agriculture.
The Sudanese army nominated Lt. Gen. Jamal Omer Minister of Defence and the police nominated al-Traifi Idriss Daffallah Minister of Interior.
The list also includes Lina al-Sheikh, Minister of Labour and Social Development, Omer Monis, Minister of Cabinet Affairs, Intisar al-Zein Sghairyoun, Minister for Higher Education, Faisal Mohamed Saleh, for Minister of Culture and Information, and Nasr al-Din Mufreh, for the Ministry of Religious Affairs.
Last week, the FFC handed Hamdouk a list including three nominees for every ministry. But he entered into thorny negotiations with them after proposing five candidates for five ministries to replace their nominees.
Hamdouk’s refusal to appoint Madani Abbas Madani in the Cabinet Affairs Ministry had been highly controversial. The Forces for Freedom and Change stuck to their candidate, while the Prime Minister called for his removal from the ministry. Finally, they agreed that he would stay in the cabinet as industry minister.
(ST)