Legislature of Sudan’s eastern state rejects vote to impeach governor

April 10, 2012 (KHARTOUM) – The legislative council of Al-Qadarif State in eastern Sudan rejected on Tuesday a motion to impeach the state governor, Karam Allah Abbas, for his alleged support to normalising ties between Sudan and Israel.

The motion was handed by an MP named Abu Bakr who called for a vote of no-confidence on the governor, citing the emergence last week of press reports quoting Abbas as saying that he will not hesitate to normalise Khartoum’s relations with Israel if he ever becomes a foreign minister.

But the vote was rejected after only one MP voted in favor of the motion and thirty MPs voted against it while seven abstained.

Al-Qadarif’s governor Karam Allah Abbas is known for controversial statements. He previously threatened to sue the federal ministry of finance at international courts for failing to provide funds to his state.

The local governance law in Sudan says that an elected governor cannot be voted out of office unless third of the legislative council’s members vote in favour of an impeachment.

Sudan has no diplomatic relations with Israel and remains committed to the Arab League’s boycott of the Jewish State.

(ST)