Sudan’s SPLM pull out of team drafting Khartoum constitution
Mar 23, 2006 (KHARTOUM) — SPLM representatives at Khartoum State Legislative Council declared their withdrawal from the committee for the preparation of the constitution of the national capital.
Head of the SPLM parliamentary bloc at the council, Paul Deng, asserted that the movement is totally convinced that the forwarded constitution draft is not valid as the basis for discussion as it comprises chapters that are identical to those of the 1998 constitution. He added that a proposal must be forwarded based on the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) and the interim constitution.
Deng said considering that Khartoum is the national capital and not a northern central town, the constitution paves the way for cultural, ethnic and religious diversity.
Deng mentioned that SPLM members forwarded a memo to the council’s Speaker, Mohamed al-Sheikh Madani, to withdraw the forwarded paper. They were surprised when their request was rejected on the pretext that it was illegal according to the constitution.
Deng explained that the constitution draft handles the basic rights of the capital’s people contrary to the interim constitution.
The SPLM parliamentary bloc decided to freeze its membership, withdraw from the said committee and suspend its activities for 24 hours.
Another SPLM member, Peter Ngor, said the draft of the capital’s constitution has been prepared in an undisclosed place and is identical to the 1998 constitution, so it contradicts the CPA-based interim constitution.
He said this procedure by the ruling National Congress Party is a violation of the CPA, as it is an attempt to marginalize the SPLM.
Informed sources say that the proposal for the national capital constitution has been drawn since last year by a committee formed by Khartoum State Governor Abd-al-Halim al-Muta’afi, the Khartoum Monitor said.
Meanwhile, the SPLM proposed that all parties forward drafts of the constitution for discussion, then the issue should be raised to the Presidency for preparing a model of the national capital constitution.
(Khartoum Monitor/ST)