Sudan’s NCP says some opposition parties submitted constitution proposals

February 3, 2013 (KHARTOUM) – The ruling National Congress Party (NCP) said today that some opposition parties have submitted their views on the draft constitution despite publicly boycotting the process.

NCP spokesperson Ahmad Badr Al-Deen Ibrahim said in press statements that the constitution committee is still conducting a broad and continuous dialogue with various political forces in a bid to seek compromise on the draft.

He emphasised that the issue of the constitution is not a partisan one but a national one and as such the participation of non-NCP parties remains necessary.

Ibrahim said “many” of the opposition parties presented their proposals on the constitution even if privately.

The NCP official said that disputed issues in the draft text would be referred to a national committee to be formed later, adding that the government may call for a popular referendum on the constitution.

Despite calls by NCP to other political parties, most opposition forces chose not to take part in the constitution drafting process, accusing the ruling party of preparing it behind closed doors to impose its own agenda.

Sudanese president Omer Hassan al-Bashir vowed since South Sudan’s independence that the new constitution would be entirely Islamic “without communism or secularism or Western [influences]”.

Last September, a coalition of Sudanese Islamist groups threatened to declare Jihad against the government if it backs away from a constitution based on Islamic Shari’a law.

(ST)