Sudan’s PCP says opposed to one region demand for Darfur
November 1, 2008 (LONDON) — The Popular Congress Party led by Hassan Al-Turabi showed opposition to the establishment of one region in western Sudan region of Darfur as it demanded by the rebel movements, arguing it would be against the principle of federalism.
Mahboob Abdel-Salam, a member of the PCP leadership office and spokesperson told Sudan Tribune that the emergence of a third regional entity would lead to deprive the states from any powers.
He further said that the creation of the government of southern Sudan is a good example to see how state governments in southern Sudan are powerless bodies and every thing is concentrated in Juba. “This third level alters the sense of federalism” he said.
However, the principle of dual power-sharing in federalism had an exception in Belgium where besides the federal and the region governments there are the three language communities.
The three Belgian communities exercise their authority only within linguistically determined geographical boundaries, originally oriented towards the individuals of a Community’s language: culture (including audiovisual media), education, and the use of the relevant language.
The overlapping of the regions and communities complicated the relations between the three institutions, paralyzed the function of the national government and threatened the unity of Belgium.
The Popular Congress Party official said they suggest, to avoid such confusion and preserve the good function of the institutions, to establish coordinating institutions — executive and legislative – for Darfur region and to maintain the current three states.
Turabi’s party had boycotted a national forum held by the ruling party to find out common grounds between the political forces and to negotiate on its basis with the rebel movements in Darfur.
However, Nafi Ali Nafi the government top negotiator for Darfur peace talks said opposed to the creation of one region in Darfur. Observers say the Sudan’s People Forum could follow his position and disappoint rebel expectations.
The current 26 state federal system is criticized by many opposition parties. The Democratic Unionist Party and the Sudanese communist party suggest to re-establish the old administrative system and to consider southern Sudan as one region. So the country would have seven big regions.
They also suggest to form a collegial presidency for the country and to confer the executive power to a government led by a Prime Minister responsible before the national parliament.
At the end of the interim period, the constitution of 2005 which applied in accordance with the Comprehensive Peace Agreement should be reviewed by a national constitutional conference.
(ST)
ukech
Sudan’s PCP says opposed to one region demand for Darfur
The way Northern political parties are opposed to Darfur being recognized as one region is reminiscent to what they tried hard to do in the past in South Sudan: Keeping the South divided in to three separate regions each answerable to the central government in Khartoum. During the Round-table peace negotiations in 1965 to get the parties to bring peaceful resolutions to the raging war,Islamic Charter party, the forerunner of NCP and Al Turabi’s PCP faction was vehemently opposed to the considering South Sudan as one region. All other parties including Sudanese Communist party did the same.
When Darfur was annexed into Sudan by the British in 1910, it was a sovereign united state on its own. If Darfurians just like the Southerners in 1960’s want their region to be administered as one entity with under some confereal arrangements with the rest of Sudan, who are the PCP to reject it?
Ukech