Sudanese ruling party starts general conference

Nov 23, 2005 (KHARTOUM) — The general conference of Sudan’s ruling National Congress (NC) party kicked off in the Sudanese capital Khartoum on Wednesday.

About 6,000 NC members, a number of leaders and representatives of other Sudanese political parties and civil and religious organizations as well as foreign ambassadors in Khartoum attended the opening ceremony of the conference which is expected to last three days.

Sudanese President and Chairman of the NC Omar al-Beshir is expected to address the inaugural session, outlining the achievements the NC has made since it took power in 1989.

The NC’s consultative council on Monday unanimously re-elected Bashir as the party’s chairman and candidate for the country’s upcoming presidential election.

The consultative council stressed the importance to unite fronts in a bid to ensure unity and stability in Sudan.

Beshir said at the council’s meeting that the NC would face the current challenges bravely and commit itself to a comprehensive peace agreement inked between the Sudanese government and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in southern Sudan, which ended the longest running civil war on the African continent.

He also pledged to further the NC’s cooperation with all the other parties.

(Xinhua/ST)