Sudan constitution panel sets subcommittees, agrees on procedures

KHARTOUM, May 4, 2005 (SUNA) — The National Commission for the Revision of the Constitution (NCRC) on Tuesday began its works at the Friendship Hall here where the Chairman of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), John Garang, urged in a recorded statement the conferees to observe the 1998 Constitution and the Comprehensive Peace Agreement when drafting the Interim Constitution.

The spokesman of the SPLM, Yasser Arman, pointed out in press statement that all procedures for running the works of the various subcommittees have been approved as well as the documents.

He said the deliberations would not last more than six weeks maximum before the commission finalizes its works.

Meanwhile the Political Secretary of the National Congress, Majzoub Al Khalifa Ahmed, has described the start of the works as being successful and that it was a good start for the deliberations of the Interim Constitution.

He said the meetings would move to Rumbeik after Khartoum. He said the sessions would be open and that contacts would continue with the various political forces for participation in the discussions.

Ambassador Dirdiri Mohamed Ahmed has meanwhile said he did not rule out other political forces joining the deliberations any time and that they would be welcome any time.

Abel Alier, the co-chairman of the commission has demanded the members of the commission to complete their work in a month’s time so that a period of 15 days would be given to the revision and other final touches. He said the commission has 45 days before it to finalize the mission.

The commission had at the outset chosen each of Abel Alier, Abdalla Idris, Abdel Rahman Ibrahim and Nihal Deng to manage the various sessions.

It is to be noted that the commission is composed of 180 members of whom 60 are the basic membership while 120 others are alternate members.