Sudan’s opposition and SPLM to rally for democratic reforms

December 2, 2009 (KHARTOUM) — Sudanese opposition and the junior partner in the national unity government are planning to hold a rally next Saturday to demand adoption of laws related to democratic transition.

The southern Sudan ruling party, Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) hosted last September a conference for the opposition parties in Juba where they decided to boycott the next year election if the ruling National Congress Party fails to implement democratic reforms before the end of November.

Representatives of the Juba conference parties held on Tuesday a meeting in Khartoum to discuss the problems encountered in the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) and the democratic transition.

In their joint declaration at the end of Juba conference the opposition and the SPLM asked to amend: the National Security Law, Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure Law, the Trade Unions Act, the law of immunities, the law of personal status, press and publications law, the laws of public order.

Pagan Amum, SPLM Secretary General, told reporters in Khartoum that the meeting decided to put pressure on the ruling NCP and demonstrate next Saturday to demand the CPA implementation and adoption of laws related to democratic transition.

With regard to their position from National Congress Party, he said they discussed a number of options including boycott of the election or to participate in the presidential elections with one candidate and to coordinate in the election for the federal and states’ parliaments and governors. He added they will lodge a complaint to the Intergovernmental Authority Development in East Africa (IGAD) which sponsored the peace agreement.

Pagan further said that talks with the NCP on the joint political committee are deadlocked. The committee co-chaired by Sudan’s Vice President Ali Osman Taha and South Sudan government Vice President Dr. Riek Machar deals mainly with the issue of referendum for southern Sudan.

(ST)