Bashir vows to end rebellion and tribal clashes before 2015 elections
September 15, 2013 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese president, Omer Hassan Al-Bashir, has asserted that the armed rebellion and tribal clashes will be brought to an end by the end of 2014, saying that the 2015 general elections will be held in a Sudan that is free of wars.
The general election of 2015 is seen by the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) as a crucial means to renew its contested legitimacy and vote a new constitution in the country since the secession of South Sudan.
The opposition and rebel groups demand to dissolve the NCP dominated government and replace it with a national cabinet before holding a constitutional conference to settle the regional conflicts and to endorse general principles laying the grounds for a democratic constitution.
The president in his speech said that his government’s priority is to end the armed rebellion and tribal conflicts in order to save blood and direct the energies of young people towards building Sudan instead of “killing and destruction”.
He vowed to conduct the 2015 general elections in a country free of rebellion and conflicts, stressing that elections will be fair and transparent.
“We see power as a means to worship Allah (God), and we won’t get closer to Allah through deception and fraud”, he added
Bashir added that they want all Sudanese people to participate in the upcoming elections in order to choose their leadership, saying that all should respect the choice of the people and support the elected leadership.
He said that peace is a strategic objective for his government, pointing out that they negotiated with armed groups in order to save youth energies not to encourage them to bear arms.
Bashir stressed that his government seeks a peaceful transfer of power through political engagement and competition not military coup d’état and armed rebellion, calling for agreement on national and religious constants through dialogue.
He pointed out that his government and the opposition parties have agreed on national issues including peace, constitution, and governance, saying that all Sudanese people have the right to express views on those issues through political parties, civil society organisations, the media, and other forums.
“We want to handover the young generations a united and conflict-free country, we want to get rid of tribalism and racism”, he added.
Bashir further called upon youth of the rebel groups to lay down arms and join efforts to build the country.
“Youth are the fuel and victims of conflicts, and thus they must be the spearhead to repair the social fabric which will begin in Darfur and South Kordofan states”, he said.
(ST)