Sudan’s NCF, NUP agree to integrate visions to meet national challenges
March 18, 2014 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese opposition alliance of the National Consensus Forces (NCF) and the opposition National Umma Party (NUP) have agreed to integrate their visions to meet challenges facing the country.
The NCF was represented in the meeting by the Sudanese Communist Party (SCP) Secretary General, Mohamed Mokhtar al-Khateeb, the Sudanese Congress Party chairman, Ibrahim al-Sheikh, the deputy chairman of the Unionist Movement Party (UMP), Abu al-Hassan Farah, the representative of the Nasserite Party, Jamal Abdel-Nasser Idriss, and representatives of the Arab Ba’ath Party, Al-Tijani Mustafa, Yahiya Hussein, and Fathi Nouri.
The NUP was represented by al-Sadiq al-Mahdi, his two deputies Fadul Allah Burma Nasser, and Sideeg Ismail, the secretary general, Ibrahim Al-Amin, the head of the politburo, Sarah Nugdalla, and the chairman of the NUP in North Darfur state, Mohamed Adam Abdel-Karim.
Reliable sources told Sudan Tribune the meeting was held in an atmosphere of mutual understanding, saying the it will be followed by other ones in order to develop a common national vision.
Last November, the NUP froze its membership in the NCF saying the opposition alliance does not have a political vision to share with other political parties.
It also criticized the structure of the NCF and described it as fragile and loose, suggesting an overhaul which includes establishing branches in the different states and abroad besides a presidential council and an executive council besides changing the name of the alliance, something which the NCF rejected.
The NUP and the NCF also disagree on their position towards the ruling National Congress Party’s (NCP) initiative for national dialogue.
While the NUP accepted to engage in dialogue with the government, the NCF rejected the call and instead demanded dismantling the regime and establishing a transitional government.
In a separate issue, the Reform Now Party (RNP) has called in a press statement on Tuesday for establishing a national environment that is repellent for the totalitarian ideology and the culture of exclusion and mistrust and favorable for pluralism and political diversity.
The statement described the way by which the government dealt with the NCF’s mass meeting last Saturday a clear violation of the 2007 political parties’ law, saying the law stipulates that political parties have the right to hold indoors meetings besides holding social, political, cultural, and sports activities and organizing peaceful protests.
Last Saturday, the riot police and security forces used tear gas to disperse a mass meeting organized by the NCF at al-Rabta square in Shambat neighborhood and at the Sudanese Congress Party’s headquarters.
(ST)