Sudanese opposition parties urge uprising against “illegitimate” govt
July 10, 2009 (KHARTOUM) — A number of major Sudanese opposition parties met on Friday to deliberate in the first day of the “unconstitutional” government per their statements.
The opposition parties assert that per the CPA, the current government should be disbanded as of July 9th and a new interim cabinet should be formed to prepare the country for elections.
However the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) and its partner Sudan People Liberation Movement (SPLM) dismissed opposition demands.
Today the Umma National Party, Popular Congress Party (PCP), Sudanese communist Party (SCP), Umma Reform and Renewal Party (URRP), National Sudanese Alliance and other smaller parties agreed to withdraw their 20 representatives from the national assembly.
The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) was absent from the meeting for unknown reasons.
The coalition agreed to hold talks with SPLM and DUP to agree on a “national democratic strategy”.
The leading figure in the National Democratic alliance (NDA) Farouk Abu Essa told reporters that the government failed to carry out its tasks in holding elections on time and reiterated demands for creating a transitional government to run the country through the 2011 referendum in South Sudan.
Abu Essa said that a public statement will be issued within the next 24 hours formally outlining their position on the elections and the census results.
This will be sent to Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), the guaranties of the CPA, African Union (AU), Arab league and neighboring countries, Abu Essa said.
The NDA figure said that the party leaders agreed on staging peaceful protests adding that “they do not want confrontation with the government”.
Abu Essa threatened to boycott the elections if the government does not honor its commitments and resolving the Darfur crisis.
However the SPLM deputy Secretary General Yasir Arman said that his movement “stands by the legitimacy of the current government in accordance with law and constitution”.
Arman said that the SPLM agrees with the opposition parties on the need for a democratic transformation and conducting fair and free elections.
The NCP political bureau officer Mandoor Al-Mahdi warned that the opposition parties can resort to the supreme court to rule on the constitutional status of the government.
He warned that the government will deal firmly with opposition parties “who attempt to work outside the law”.
Abu Essa added that opposition parties do not trust the Supreme Court and therefore will not challenge the constitutionality of the government.
(ST)