Sudanese opposition calls on DUP party to join efforts to topple the regime
June 18, 2012 (KHARTOUM) – Sudanese opposition coalition the National Consensus Forces (NCF) called on the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) to join its efforts to bring change in Sudan and to topple the regime of President Omar Bashir.
Al-Merghani was the former leader of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), an opposition umbrella including the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) who fought the regime before the signing of 2005 peace agreement.
However, the DUP chief who was opposed to the South Sudan independence, joined the first post separation government, saying the nation’s integrity was under threat.
In a statement released on Monday the NCF called on the DUP to withdraw from the coalition government and to join opposition efforts to bring down the regime.
The opposition coalition appealed directly to the DUP leader Al-Mirghani calling him to “contribute to the country’s liberation from totalitarianism”.
“Keen to defend the interest of our country and our people, We, in the National Consensus Forces, call on Mohammed Osman al-Mirghani and the Democratic Unionist Party to withdraw from the government as soon as possible before the flood that threatens it,” said Farouk Abu Essa, chairman of the opposition NCF and former leading member of the NDA.
“Because its determination to increase the prices is a crime against the people,” he stressed.
The call comes while the opposition is hopeful to mobilise the Sudan’s streets following the austerity measures announced by the government and the rampant inflation hitting the national economy.
University students in Khartoum staged protests in the Sudanese capital and different towns to reject the drastic economic measures to be announced officially this week.
Abu Essa stated on Monday that opposition were working to set up a youth body as part of efforts exerted to challenge the regime.
He said an organisation called ‘Youth for Change’ was supposed to be announced on Monday evening in Khartoum but the security forces stormed the meeting and arrested the participants.
Since last December the DUP has remained divided over its participation in the NCP government. Hatim Al-Sir, the party’s candidate for the presidential elections in April 2010, considered the withdrawal from the government as “national duty and party responsibility”.
“The masses of the Democratic Unionist Party are expecting the resignation of their leading members participating in the government, in protest of the adoption of harmful policies without prior consultations with them,” Al-Sir underscored.
A different DUP minister complained recently of being marginalised by the NCP leadership but Al-Mirghani reaffirmed his support to the government after meeting First Vice-President Ali Uthman Taha.
(ST)