Sudan’s Bashir confirms DUP joining new government
November 23, 2011 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese president Omer Hassan al-Bashir disclosed that the formation of the long awaited government could have been announced a couple of days ago but he chose not to.
“We don’t want to occupy the media and public opinion with something other than the general conference,” the Sudanese president said.
“When we are finished with the conference we will start forming the government which we want to come with a broad, coherent and interconnected base so it can lead the next phase,” he added.
The NCP dominated government has been in talks with the two major opposition parties namely the National Umma Party (NUP) and the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) for months on joining the cabinet to be formed after the south breaks away which occurred last July.
The NUP rejected the NCP offer but the DUP has continued negotiations amid deep divisions within the latter’s rank on the issue of participation.
The DUP has suggested this week that they asked the NCP for more concessions but the ruling party officials said they received official confirmation that they agreed to participate.
Bashir today confirmed that the DUP will be in the new cabinet saying that they “almost” agreed on the level of participation and that they are now awaiting the opposition party’s nominees to fill the posts.
He said that there are voices within the NCP calling for excluding the opposition because “they have nothing [to add].”
“But we want to bring together all the Sudanese people. We are not the only patriots; any person with an opinion his presence with us benefits us and it is better than [NCP] being alone.”
He also warned his party members of getting “too relaxed” to avoid the fate of the opposition adding that he feels uncomfortable with the fact that NCP does not have any competitors.
Faced by many challenges including the worsening economic situation and multiple military conflicts in Darfur, Blue Nile and South Kordofan analysts say that the NCP wants to neutralize the opposition parties and gain more legitimacy domestically and abroad by incorporating the NUP and DUP into the cabinet.
(ST)