Sudan’s ruling NCP sends referendum bill back to parliament for reconsideration

December 23, 2009 (KHARTOUM) – The ruling National Congress Party (NCP) today made a highly unexpected move and agreed to demands by the Sudan People Liberation Movement (SPLM) on removing the amendments made to the controversial South Sudan referendum bill adopted by the National Assembly this week.

On Tuesday the NCP legislators modified the bill after it was agreed on in the Council of Ministers and also in the Presidency. The approved bill cancelled an article stipulating that southerners who reside outside the region will have to register and vote only in South Sudan.

The chairman of referendum sub-committee Badriya Suleiman said this article violates the interim constitution particularly the article related to freedom of movement.

The move led the SPLM bloc and other Southern parties’ representatives at the parliament to walk out without voting on the draft bill. Despite that the ruling NCP utilized its simple majority in the parliament to pass it.

Salva Kiir, Sudan’s first vice president and the southern government’s leader said in a statement today that it is “inconceivable that the National Assembly can pass a bill in respect of Southern Sudan Referendum Law in the absence of Southern Sudanese themselves and without honoring the political agreement of the two parties”.

“This is risky and exposes our country to greater political danger for not honoring agreements” Kiir said.

The SPLM chairman called for not allowing the “spoilers of CPA” to “derail us from our focus on ensuring peace and stability in our country”.

“The members of the National Assembly were appointed in accordance with the provisions of the CPA and their primary focus should be to ensure the full implementation of the CPA”.

The NCP took a defiant stance on the matter saying that the bill would send to presidency for signature and enactment into law despite SPLM protests.

However, today a senior SPLM official announced that the Sudanese parliament will vote again on the bill.

“We [SPLM & NCP] agreed on the fact that the law on the referendum will be resubmitted to parliament on Monday to be adopted with the article that had been removed,” the SPLM Vice president Riek Machar said.

A political observer in Khartoum Sudan Tribune that the “extraordinary” change of heart by the NCP” is driven by the fear that the SPLM would join opposition ranks in an alliance against the ruling party.

The SPLM along with Northern opposition parties have twice attempted to stage demonstrations this month that were curbed by Sudanese authorities. The NCP slammed the demonstrations accusing its organizers of seeking to topple the government.

“The political isolation of the NCP makes it keen on keeping the SPLM happy and avoiding a confrontation that would make the scene appear like the NCP versus everyone else in the country”.

The Sudanese National Assembly also postponed its deliberations on the bills of the Act of the organization of the People’s Consultation for the Blue Nile and South Kordofan States, the Act on Referendum of Abyei and the Trade Unions Act till next week for further consultations.

(ST)