North Sudan: NCP-NUP dialogue fails to agree on government-participation
April 17, 2011 (KHARTOUM) – Sudanese president Omer Al-Bashir who chairs the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) will meet with the leader of the opposition National Umma Party (NUP) Sadiq Al-Mahdi to discuss the pending issues in their dialogue over the political reforms in the country.
The ruling NCP in North Sudan announced on Sunday the conclusion of ground-level dialogue with the opposition NUP, saying that the results will be referred to a meeting between its leader President Omar Al-Bashir and the NUP leader Al-Sadiq Al-Mahdi.
The NCP’s political secretary Ibarhim Gandoor told reporters today that the agreements reached during the dialogue “do not include participation in a broad-base government,” adding that this issue, among other pending points, would be discussed during Al-Mahdi-Bashir summit whose date is yet to be fixed.
North Sudan’s political arena is rife with tension due to worsening economic conditions manifested in rising inflation, soaring food prices and a shortage of foreign currency. The standoff has been exacerbated by the secession of south Sudan, for which the opposition holds the NCP responsible.
Meanwhile, many within the NUP’s ranks appear unhappy with the dialogue, which they see as futile, whereas NCP officials have repeatedly suggested that the dialogue was making progress and had reached an advanced level.
Al-Mahdi has consistently defended his position to hold a dialogue with the NCP, saying that his party was only negotiating over what he termed as the “national agendas”, specifying them in a new constitution, a solution to the conflict in Darfur region, a remedy to economic malaises, a way out of the International Criminal Court’s indictment of Al-bashir and a national government incorporating “not only for the NUP and NCP but for all Sudanese people.”
However, Al-Mahdi warned that the NCP would have to face a popular uprising if it failed to reach an agreement on these issues.
In an interview with Al-Arabiya TV, the opposition leader warned that he does not expect that his meeting with President Al Bashir would come out with positive conclusions.
“We still disagree about core issues, yet we are planning resolve the situation with the ruling party soon whether we agree or not,” he said.
Among the pending issues they two parties failed to agree on it there is the issue of Darfur administrative status and the implementation of Islamic law on the non-Muslims.
The Umma supports the establishment of a regional authority in the restive region while the NCP reject such idea. Also, the opposition party says the Sudanese Christians should be treated differently but the NCP makes the Islamic state his slogan after the separation of the South Sudan.
The Umma party also reject the results of April elections and asks for the formation of a national government, a demand that the NCP refuses to consider.
(ST)