Juba conference for opposition parties delayed until Sunday
September 26, 2009 (JUBA) — A conference in the Southern Sudan capital of Juba bringing together several heavyweight opposition parties has been delayed till Sunday amidst intense media campaign by the ruling National Congress Party (NCP).
Over 100 delegates from some twenty political parties continued flocking today to the capital of southern Sudan, Juba, amidst tight security measures.
The conference was boycott by the NCP and Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) led by Mohamed Osman Al-Mirghani who is also the chairman of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
The main participants include the Umma National Party led by former Prime Minister Al-Sadiq Al-Mahdi, Sudanese Communist Party headed by Mohamed Ibrahim Nugud and Popular Congress Part (PCP) led by former parliament speaker Hassan Al-Turabi.
In Khartoum, the NCP continued his criticism to what he described as an “opposition meeting”.
Sudan state TV dedicated a substantial amount of its news hour to the conference broadcasting unfavorable comments by some editors in chiefs and also interviewed the leader of SPLM-Democratic Change (SPLM-DC), Lam Akol.
Akol, who fell out with the SPLM, mocked the conference saying that the parties came to discuss political freedoms and democracy but that Juba is not the right place for such slogans.
Musa Mohamed Ahmed who was among the few parties the Sudanese Presidential adviser and leader of Eastern Front said they declined to go because he wished “to have a comprehensive political meeting that includes all the political parties”.
In an interview with government sponsored Sudanese Media Center (SMC) Riek Gai, a presidential adviser and a Southern figure, warned the SPLM from “melting the case of South Sudan in that of Northern political parties who seek to get to power”.
Gai condemned the “unholy alliance between the SPLM and sectarian parties” and called on the international community to pressure the SPLM so that “things don’t get worst”.
Observers say that the NCP is getting nervous about the possibility of an alliance between opposition parties thinking it will weaken its grip in power ahead of the national elections scheduled for April 2010.
The SPLM Secretary General Pagan Amum said that he regrets the non-participation of the NCP stressing that the latter “does not have a monopoly on national solutions”.
“We were hoping that the NCP try to stimulate democratic dialogue” he said.
The SMC website claimed that the parties want to pick a nominee to run against Sudanese president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir who is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) on war crimes allegedly committed in Darfur.
This month an official at the Sudanese presidency who asked not to be named told Sudan Tribune that Bashir met with his First Vice President Salva Kiir in Khartoum prior to the SPLM political bureau meetings in Juba last month.
Bashir, according to the official, said that the NCP would make “radical” concessions on all outstanding issues on the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) up to and including the referendum.
In return, the SPLM would agree to endorse Bashir as the presidential candidate in the April 2010 elections. The SPLM has not made any decisions on their nominee to run for the president.
Another official at the SPLM political bureau confirmed to Sudan Tribune that Bashir’s offer was discussed during their August meetings, but was turned down on the grounds that “the NCP cannot be trusted to follow through on their promises.”
(ST)
Garang Tiop Ring
Juba conference for opposition parties delayed until Sunday
To. All the southern who will attent this high pathetical meeting. This my advice to you all. Asnake even if it is small still snake. The so called opposition parties are not against NCP. They are against SPLM/A. So watch out. Arab alway arab as we know. Please don,t allow them to sneak in.
Dinka Boy
Juba conference for opposition parties delayed until Sunday
SPLM-DC and Riek Gai are the trailors who betray Southern Sudan for long. Riek Gai- the Bashier Advsor fuel the tribal conflict so that he can hold his Slavery job in Khartoum.
Riek Gai and his primitives supporters from Nuer are going to be failure for sure in the South because they are shallow minded and they are born empty and will die empty.
James Hoth is the man, the man who supported the interest of Southern Sudan. James Hoth is equate to 100 nuer lou primitives individuals. I equate them that way because trailors in Khartoum supply them weapons to destabalize the South interest,they are totally trailors, but James Hoth can die with SPLA/M. i Like dedicate people not trailors, and i rather died firm then slave.
Brothers, see how NCP are smart, they welcome Riek Gai, Lam Akol because they are distruction and trailors.
I doubt for South Sudan, unless if some tribes are given chance to fight themselves for amonth, then this will bring unity in the South. Our ancestors did this years back when tribes attack each other every single day, When we copy the same ideologies, then useless tribes like Lou nuer will become friends to their neighbors.
Let ready for war within tribes not NCP.
braveheart
Juba conference for opposition parties delayed until Sunday
hey fellow,
It looks like referendum is not going to be held as anticipated. Things are getting cloudy for war-like political instability right now in the Sudan. Don;t take my words for it, let’s waite-n-see the result of the election in 2010. It is only siz months away!
mohammed osman
Juba conference for opposition parties delayed until Sunday
why we Arabs goings to south to beg for help, we can overcome this criminals of NCP by ourselfs, all we need is the guns and they will run like rats, we can kick NCP the same way southerners kick them from the southern country. we can have dailogues with the south, i like al mahdi to represent us northerners but not corrupt NCP snakes who stealing our money everydays. but south sudan has to go now not later, we do not wants to like with you backword creators. blacks are at the bottom of this world compared to Arabs who are your masters.Basher to be hangged by ICC now.
Ali abdul rehman
Juba conference for opposition parties delayed until Sunday
ahme adam
sorry i have to disagree, we northerns are the original arabs for your information, if you look back in the history of arabs and islam there is prove real arabs look like present day northerners they are dark compared to resent day arabs. we are mixed with blacks or southerners to form current peoples of north but we look up to arabs culture and thats whats make we northern arabs. arabs came to sudan and breed with southerners or blacks to formw hat you now called northern arabs. but the shaaigiya are mixed but also arabs jaaliyeen are mix and arabs but deny their origins they are just confused animals.