Sudan opposition coalition rejects NUP restructure plan
November 13, 2013 (KHARTOUM) – The leaders of Sudan’s opposition umbrella organization, National Consensus Forces (NCF), have rejected conditions set by the National Umma Party (NUP) to sustain its membership in the coalition and decided to set up mechanisms for coordinating with the rebel Sudan Revolutionary Front (SRF) to topple the regime.
Last September, one of the deadliest wave of protests in Sudan’s history erupted against the government decision to cut fuel subsidies and hike prices of gasoline and diesel.
Authorities said that 84 people were killed in the demonstrations but opposition, human rights organizations, and activists put the death toll at more than 200.
The leader of the opposition Sudanese Congress Party (SCP), Ibrahim al-Sheikh, said in press statement on Tuesday that the meeting decided to stick to NCF’s name, affirming its commitment to the democratic transformation program and the call for an interim constitution.
He added that meeting also decided to leave the door open for the NUP to determine its options as a major and active party in the political arena.
Al-Mahdi had earlier made a proposal to the opposition forces to change the alliance name and restructuring it in a way which reflects the weights of the parties but his proposal was ignored by the NCF.
Al-Sheikh said that the NCF meeting discussed the nature of the current and future ties with the SRF and acknowledged its large presence in Darfur, South Kordofan and Blue Nile, stressing the need to arrive at common denominators with it.
The SRF consist of Darfur rebel movements and Sudan People Liberation Movement North (SPLM-N) which is fighting government troops in South Kordofan and the Blue Nile states.
The NCF and the SRF are in disagreement over the future government system and means to oust the regime whether political or military.
Al-Sheikh pointed that the meeting decided to form a technical committee to reconsider the draft interim constitution in order to overcome the differences in views among political forces and make it ready for signing.
The meeting which was attended by the leader of the opposition Popular Congress Party (PCP), Hassan Al-Turabi, and the secretary general of the Sudanese Communist Party (SCP), Mohamed Mokhtar Al-Khateeb, rejected conditions set by the NUP to continue its membership in the opposition alliance.
The NCP spokesperson, Kamal Omer Abdel-Salam, said in a press conference on Wednesday that the meeting unanimously recognized the ties with the SRF and approved coordination with it to overthrow the regime.
He pointed that the meeting also recognized the political declaration made by the SRF during the recent protests in which it called for unifying the opposition forces and overcoming differences on the “New Dawn” charter.
The ‘New Dawn’ charter signed by most Sudanese opposition parties and all major rebel groups earlier this year called for toppling the Bashir government and restructuring the state institutions. The government called it a western plot seeking to eradicate Sudan’s Arab-Islamic identity.
But later, the NUP, SCP and PCP appeared to have backtracked on the deal. Reasons for reservations mentioned later ranged from opposing certain clauses to saying that they were rushed into signing it.
The NCF’s chairman, Farouq Abu Issa, said that the NUP is an important opposition faction which could contribute to achieving the alliance objective of toppling the regime but it should abide by the NCF’s rules.
“We don’t prefer the NUP’s withdrawal from the NCF and we will do everything in our power to keep it an active member in the alliance”, he added.
Abu Issa acknowledged the deficiencies within the NCF which he said requires more support and reinforcement.
“We do not lie to our people and we have no magical wand ,” he said before adding that the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) has killed all its survival factors.
The opposition figure reacted coolly to the recent defections within the NCP which included former presidential adviser Ghazi Salah al-Deen al-Attabani among other prominent figures.
“The NCP reformists have liars among them who participated in the drafting of laws restricting freedoms. This group has yet to express its agenda and position,” Abu Issa said.
“In the event they decide to join the NCF they must apologize for their political participation with the NCP,” he added.
Last month, an NCP commission of inquiry established by Sudan’s president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir who is also the president of the NCP recommended the dismissal of Al-Attabani along with two other members and suspending nine others.
The punished members were among a larger group that included more than 30 NCP figures which signed on an open petition to president Bashir last September following the government’s decision to cut fuel subsidies.
The signatories including lawmakers and retired army officers called for reinstating the subsidies due to its “harsh” impact on ordinary Sudanese and demanded that the government prosecute those behind the use excessive violence against protestors.
They also urged Bashir to form a mechanism for national reconciliation comprised of various political forces and assign the economic dossier to a professional national economic team.
“The legitimacy of your rule has never been at stake like it is today” they said in their letter to Bashir which was seen as a direct challenge to the president who is now the country’s longest serving leader.
Al-Attabani declared his intention to leave the party and form a new one that would “bring new hope to Sudan”.
(ST)