Sudan’s ruling party denies early elections plan

April 3, 2012 (KHARTOUM) — Sudan’s ruling National Congress Party (NCP) denied Tuesday calling for early elections in the country and reiterated that it is sticking to maintaining the president of the republic and the parliament until the end of the term of their mandate in 2015.

The NCP was reacting to statements made by presidential advisor and former Sudanese foreign minister Mustafa Osman Ismail who stated last week that his party is willing to hold new elections if opposition parties accepted the proposal.

The Sudanese opposition have already rejected the idea saying basic rights and freedoms should be restored before such elections, saying that the purpose of the early poll would be to reinstall the NCP for more five years and renew its legitimacy.

NCP Political officer Hassabo Mohamed Abdel-Rahman told reporters that President Omar al- Bashir will remain in office as leader of the ruling party until 2015, stressing that the proposal made by Mustafa Osman Ismail is a personal point of view and does not represents the position of the party.

“It is too early to speak about it now,” said Hassabo alluding to Ismail’s statements about the anticipated elections.

Following the independence of South Sudan last July and the end of a coalition government between the NCP and SPLM, opposition parties demanded that a broad-based government be formed and a national conference be held to settle the conflicts of Blue Nile, Darfur, and South Kordofan and to adopt a new constitution.

However the NCP rejected these demands and called on the largest opposition parties — the Umma Party of al-Sadiq al-Mahdi and the Democratic Unionists of Mohamed Osman al-Mirghani — to join the government. President al-Bashir has expressed his committed to adopt an Islamic constitution.

The political official disclosed that a national constitutional committee will be announced next week to prepare a permanent constitution agreed by the all political forces.

He also said his party is currently engaging in dialogue with the different political parties to reach a consensus on the form of the new constitution. He stressed that once a compromise is reached on the national principles, the constitution will determine how to govern the country.

(ST)