Power and politics corrupted Islamists in Sudan: Bashir
May 12, 2012 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese President Omer Hassan al-Bashir hit out at members of the his party’s Islamist base saying that power and politics corrupted them.
It was notable the absence of Bashir’s assistant Nafie Ali Nafie and his adviser Ghazi Salah al-Deen, both of who are leading figures in the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) and the Islamist movement.
The meeting endorsed a new constitution for the Islamist movement which for the first time defined itself as an intellectual body with goals it seeks to achieve. It also stated that the movement has a party that works to further it aims and administer its performance without explicitly mentioning the NCP.
In rare criticism, Bashir said the movement deviated from its values and the fundamental goal of applying the Islamic Shar’ia law.
The conference witnessed intense deliberations that lasted for eight hours and agreed on close coordination between the NCP, government and Islamist movement through a body that brings representatives of all these organs together.
It was also agreed that the general convention would be held before the end of this year to select a new Secretary General to replace Ail Osman Taha who is also Bashir’s First Vice President who cannot exceed the two terms limit.
Last year cracks in the NCP appeared to emerge last year after members of the party and the Islamist movement reportedly submitted several memos to the party’s leadership calling for reforms.
The leaked memos underscored the urgency of addressing widespread corruption, establishing a citizenship-based state and banning the combination of party positions with constitutional positions.
But Bashir in an interview earlier this year dismissed the calls and suggested that those who stand behind it can be held accountable.
Bashir came to power through a bloodless coup that was masterminded by the National Islamic Front (NIF) led by Hassan al-Turabi.
But the two men fell out together in a bitter power struggle that started in 1999. Since then Turabi has been in and out of jail but was released along with all other political prisoners after a north-south peace deal in 2005.
Turabi is now one of the fiercest critics of the NCP-led government. He is been accused by Khartoum of being the figure behind the Darfur Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) that has been fighting the central government since 2003.
(ST)