Sudanese opposition makes “final call” on NCP to reform governance
September 9, 2012 (KHARTOUM) – The main coalition of Sudanese opposition parties issued on Sunday the “final call” on the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) to respond to their demands for dissolving the government and effecting large-scale political reforms.
Addressing a symposium held in the capital Khartoum, Kamal Omar, leading member of the National Consensus Forces (NCF) which comprises mainstream opposition parties, declared their rejection to calls by the NCP to engage in a dialogue over a new constitution.
Omar was referring to an announcement in which the country’s President and NCP chairman, Omer Al-Bashir, said before the parliament few weeks ago that opposition parties would be invited to participate in preparing a permanent constitution to take the place of the current one which was established in 2005 as per the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) with South Sudan.
NCP officials say that the new constitution would be established with the consent of all participating groups except those who refuse to participate.
But Omer said opposition parties view the NCP intention to establish a new constitution as an attempt to gain legitimacy and install a set of unilateral rules for power consolidation.
He justified their rejection by referring to what he described as the lack of public freedoms, political stability and burgeoning wars in the country’s peripheral regions of South Kordofan, Blue Nile and Darfur.
Omer also cited claims of increasing violations of basic rights as well as the lack of impartiality on the part of legislative and judicial authorities.
The opposition figure confirmed that NCF party members are engaged in drafting their own constitution which will meet the aspirations of political parties as well as those of armed rebel groups in the country’s peripheries.
Omar also said that opposition parties are making their final call on the NCP to respond to their demands which he summarized in the dissolution of the current government and formation of a transitional government encompassing all political forces to run the country for three years in order to stop the wars and establish a democratic system for power transition.
Opposition groups managed in July this year to sign an agreement they called the “Democratic Alternative Charter” which details the basis of how the country should be governed following the desired demise of the NCP regime.
Omar said that the way out of the political and economic crisis in Sudan lies in the establishment of a constitution approved by all components of the country’s political arena whether in the center of power or in the peripheries.
He warned the NCP that refusing such demands will render the party subject to a popular uprising.
(ST)