Sudan’s ruling NCP, NDA review reconciliation deal implementation

June 14, 2006 (KHARTOUM) — A joint panel of the ruling party and the former opposition alliance held a long-time waited meeting to discuss the pending issues in the implementation of the political reconciliation agreement signed in Cairo in May 2005.

The Higher Joint Committee between the National Alliance and the Government held a joint meeting Wednesday.

The government side was headed by Nafie Ali Nafie, Assistant of the President of the Republic and the deputy chairman of the National congress for political and organizational affairs while the Alliance side was headed by the Minister for Sciences and technology and the Vice-President of the NDA, General Abdelrahman Saeed.

Kamal Al Obied, the secretary general for foreign relations in the National Congress and member of the follow up committee said that the meeting reviewed the implementation the Cairo accords.

He said a subcommittee was formed to submit a report to the higher committee next week. On his part, leading member of the alliance MP Farouk Abu Issa has pointed out in press statements that the meeting was held in good spirit and was a positive and that the two sides have stressed their keenness to implement the accords as they have now become a possession of the Sudanese people

He said meeting also reviewed the jurisdictions of all the committees which include the political committee, the legal committee and the committee set to compensate and undo injustice. He said the two sides have agreed that the implementation be carried out soon and that a timetable was set for the committees to complete their works.

The NDA after the signing of the reconciliation agreement sponsored by the Egyptian government in May 2005 decided to participate in the Legislative power, in the same time it left the door opened for any political force to join executive power. The DUP of Mohamed Osman al-Merghani accepted the proposed ministerial posts, but not the others, while Darfur and eastern Sudan rebels opted for separated talks with the regime following the example of the SPLM which signed the CPA on 9 January 2005.

(ST)