Umma party denies withdrawal from Sudanese opposition alliance
May 19, 2012 (KHARTOUM) – The National Umma Party (NUP) has denied rumours about its withdrawal from the alliance of Sudanese opposition forces following statements by a leading official of the ruling National Congress Party (NCP).
Nafi Ali Nafi, presidential assistant and NCP deputy leader, last Thursday in Nyala praised the position of the Umma party on the “challenges” Sudan is facing adding that it had distanced itself from the opposition forces which are accused of supporting rebel groups.
NUP representative of opposition coalition, the National Consensus Forces (NCF), Mariam Sadiq al-Mahdi, released a statement on Saturday saying that remarks by some NCP officials about NUP break away from the opposition coalition was not true.
The daughter of the party leader further revealed that the NCF approved a proposal prepared by its party (Project for National Salvation) calling for an inclusive national conference including all the Sudanese political forces to achieve peace and democratic transition in the country.
She further noted that the Umma party is working with other political forces to improve the performance of the opposition alliance through a political pact dealing with the challenges and risks the country is facing.
This political text should create a new political horizon to change policies and structures which brought Sudan into the war; Mariam underlined. She added that the Umma party works to achieve a political consensus on the liabilities of the alternative system within the opposition alliance.
Sadiq al-Mahdi is criticised by the opposition and rebel groups for his stance against the use of force to overthrow the regime. He explained his opposition to the war that rebels are waging in South Kordofan and Blue Nile saying it gives the NCP an excuse to not achieve democratic transition in the country.
Before the start of South Kordofan conflict in June 2011 al-Mahdi threatened to stage a national uprising against the regime. But now he calls for political dialogue with the regime stressing that violence might disintegrate the fragile country.
An opposition official stated Saturday that the Umma party is moving to abandon the NCF, due to the visible divergence between it’s call for dialogue with the NCP, while the opposition alliance calls for the overthrow Bashir’s regime through peaceful means.
The leading opposition member who preferred anonymity, said the Umma party is unwilling to remain in the NCF alliance after building a political line different from the other forces.
He also underscored the NUP’s absence from four meetings recently held by the General Assembly of the opposition coalition during the two past weeks.
The opposition figure also said the repeated criticism of NCF “weakness” by the Umma leadership including Sadiq al-Madi is an additional evidence of their intention to quit the opposition alliance.
In a press conference held few days ago, NUP Secretary-General; Ibrahim Al-Amin slammed severely the opposition alliance saying it suffers from differences and divisions.
(ST)