Sudan’s Islamic opposition party threatens to adopt regime change

December 2, 2010 (KHARTOUM) – The opposition Popular Congress Party (PCP) led by the veteran Islamist Hassan Al-Turabi has threatened to work towards overthrowing the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) if the latter continues to dismiss demands to for reforms and a transitional government.

The ultimatum was announced in a press conference held in Khartoum on Sunday by the PCP’s secretary of external affairs, Bashir Adam Rahmah, who declared that the meeting of the party’s leadership committee had approved the pursuit of regime change if the government continues to resist calls for economic, political and judicial reforms.

The PCP is the splinter party formed by Al-Turabi after he fell out with his former ally president Al-Bashir in 1999. The party is vociferous in its opposition to the NCP of president Al-Bashir.

Political tension in Sudan has been on the rise ahead of the crucial referendum vote on the independence of the semi-autonomous region of south Sudan.

Opposition parties accuse the NCP of being solely responsible for the imminent secession of the south and demands that the party accedes to their demands of forming a transitional government and enacting constitutional reforms.

On Friday, President Al-Bashir invited opposition parties to join his government as the country slides into a likely breakup as a result of South Sudan vote on independence due in 9 January. He said that the move would help “unite the internal front.”

But Rahmah derided Al-Bashir’s call as “a face value invitation meant for political consumption.” Rahmah went on to say that the government had lost legal, political and moral legitimacy, warning the ruling party that any violent responses to opposition activities would cost it dearly.

“We realize that the NCP will not roll out the red carpet for these demands but the party must realize that if it decided to respond with violence it will cause bloodshed in the streets,” he warned.

However, the NCP has dismissed the opposition party’s threats, saying they are “repetitive and hold nothing new” as put by the NCP’s secretary of political relations Ibrahim Gandur.

Gandur accused opposition parties of attempting to incite sedition and destabilize the political arena by adopting regime change.

April’s general elections in Sudan, which were marred by reports of mass fraud and vote rigging, re-elected President Al-Bashir and his party with an overwhelming majority in the parliament.

(ST)