Al-Bashir’s decree fell short of Sudan’s demands
By Mahmoud A. Suleiman
Ampril 16, 2014 – This article comes against the backdrop of the Decree number 158 of 2014 passed by the National Congress Party (NCP) president Marshal Omer Hassan Ahmed al-Bashir to regulate the activities of Sudanese political parties. The people of Sudan are extremely sick and tired of al-Bashir’s never-ending fruitless never-implemented decrees. From the outset, the decree gave a slap on those who have illusions about al-Bashir’s decrees. The decree stated that it prohibited any meetings of political parties within their party premises without prior permission from the authorities! The satirists jocularly said it seems that the National Dialogue of Omer al-Bashir has become an (April Fool’s) and a trap for the opposition; but only managed to catch in its trap the ones of the right size. That prey turned out to be just (Hassan Abdullah al-Turabi)!
The Presidential Decree number 158 for the year 2014 to regulate the activities of the Sudanese political parties in accordance with the provisions of article 58 (1) of the interim Constitution of 2005 was no different from previous absurd resolutions of Omar al-Bashir’s many absurd ones. Al-Bashir’s decrees usually appear as though they are permitting fundamental freedoms, whereas they in fact prohibiting them in disguise by inserting the phrase ‘ according to law ‘! Thus, for every decree there is an associated opposing clause. With such devious manner the failed fundamentalist racist ruling regime of the totalitarian National Congress Party continued to suppress the Sudanese people with the view to empower himself and continue the grip on power alone and exclusion of others throughout the lean years of the past quarter of the century. The same pattern of governance has been going on since the bad omen Coup d’état carried out by the National Islamic Front (NIF) on Friday 30th of June 1989.
Furthermore, Omer al-Bashir’s reference to the 2005 constitution that was made for the Interim period based on the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) is farce, given the fact that it has become null and void since the purpose for it’s existence is no longer valid constitutionally by the Secession of the southern Sudan region on 09. July 2011 after the landslide Referendum held in January 2011 by more than 99 per cent to become the nascent Republic of South Sudan, the UN member Number 193 on 14.07.2011. On the other hand, there are repressive laws contrary to the terms and reference of the 2005 Constitution that continue to be applied against the opponents and opponents of Al-Bashir’s Government, parallel to the Constitution referred to and used by the security and intelligence service notorious despite decisions of the Republic and should not forget the ongoing war now in Darfur, the Nuba mountains and Blue Nile, despite frivolous resolutions that come out from the bloodthirsty Omer al-Bashir and his worn-out regime.
The hero of the farcical play of the Muslim Brotherhood was the Godfather of the Islamist Movement in Sudan Hassan Abdullah al-Turabi and right-hand obedient Army Brigadier Omar Hassan Ahmed Al-Bashir. As a Director and for a better Production for the Soap-Opera al-Turabi ordered Omer al-Bashir to go and stay in the Presidential Palace in Khartoum (AKA. General Gordon Palace) and he went to the notorious Kober Prison, as a camouflage!
The lies of the Genius liars will not stop trying to fool the people of Sudan. It is impossible for Snakes to dispense with their deadly venom.
For those who know the devious mechanism of the entity of the Islamist movement in Sudan and beyond, their initiatives -so to speak- are all vacuous trickery exercises guaranteed to prolong the suffering of the people of Sudan. At the same time providing them with a window of respite taking them way and out of the cumulative disasters in the form of political, economic, diplomatic, social and beside the painful blows and military defeats the regime sustained at the hands of the gallant forces of the Sudanese Revolutionary Front (SRF). The well-known tricks and lies of Omar al-Bashir are no longer capable to fool the wit of alliance of national political parties under the umbrella of the National Consensus Forces (NCF) and the Sudanese revolutionary front (SRF).
The worsening political situation in our homeland needs urgent stance and contribution of all components of the Sudanese people to dismantle the despotic NCP political corporate stronghold and discard it into the history dustbin once and for good without anyone shedding tears of sorrow other than the regime’s hirelings employed by Omer al-Bashir to do the dirty jobs. And the decision taken by al-Bashir for the alleged national dialogue was intended to try to deceive the regional and the international communities that his regime has made major political concessions extended them to the opposition parties to enjoy democratic freedoms. Al-Bashir resorted to the so-called National Dialogue after the means for way-out of the impasse afflicted his mangled regime narrowed and at the verge of falling because of the many crises resulting from the mindless policies and wrong decisions over the past 25 odd years he has been ruling Sudan with absolute power.
The biggest flaw in the planned national dialogue invitation issued by President Omar al-Bashir, it came under the terms and preconditions of the National Congress Party (NCP). There should be sufficient political will for the development of a political transition sytem leading to radical solutions to the countless Sudanese crises. The crises that halting the progress of the country are the results of the wrong policies taken by the Government during the years of the National Congress Reign which lasted for a quarter of a century.
It is noticeable that the ruling regime led by Omar al-Bashir was in violation of the Constitution in 2005 during the transitional period of the comprehensive peace agreement and was hardly applied certain provisions of that Constitution under threat by the international community, especially the pressure by United States, sponsor of the comprehensive peace agreement. What appears absurd is the continuing support of the former US President Jimmy Carter for the regime of the (NCP) in spite of the reprehensible crimes against the people of Sudan in Darfur committed by the militias and army of the regime. Political analysts say that is because of the Carter Center’s interests that intersect with those of the perpetrator of genocide in Darfur Omar Hassan Ahmad Al-Bashir remaining in power. The people of the war-stricken territories in Sudan, on the call on Mr. Carter to halt his backing for the Ramshackle regime. Mr. Carter knows well the degree of corruption of the regime since the time his centre (Carter Centre) presided over monitoring the rigged Sudanese General Elections won by Omer al-Bashir and his party between 11 and 15 April 2010. What is more strange and worrying is the Khartoum Newspapers reports attributing a statement to Mr. Carter that he said that the initiative of the national dialogue is serious but America reneged on its promise of lifting sanctions against the (NCP) government , but Omar al-Bashir did not renege on his promise ! Such statements if truly issued by Mr. Jimmy Carter, former US President, they will tarnish his impartiality and his credibility will be at stake. Furthermore, Jimmy Carter’s appeal of creditor nations to exempt the debts of Sudan came to support Omar al-Bashir’s project of national dialogue, which rejected by the people of Sudan.
The people of Sudan in Darfur, Nuba Mountains, Blue Nile, Beja of Eastern Sudan and those in the Far Nubian North tell Omar al-Bashir that his unsold merchandise and the depressed goods under the so-called ‘national dialogue’ to sell it to the group of the isolated traditional political entities who are rushing and scrambling to get grants and allowances from their master of grace. The genuine and honest political opposition which consist of the Sudanese Revolutionary Front (SRF), National Consensus Forces (NCF), Civil Society Organisations, Activist Youth Movements, Students Associations, Women Associations, Professional Trade Unions and Labour Trade Unions have heading forward with sincerity to implement their constituents’ wish to overthrow the (NCP) regime. This political position became more urgent following the renewal of the crimes of ethnic cleansing and genocide in Darfur. The crimes recently committed by the militias allied to the (NCP) regime in Darfur are more atrocious compared to that of the years 2003 and 2004. They are renewed after ten years after the massacre in Darfur-genocide-and on the twentieth anniversary of the genocide in Rwanda. It is the duty and onus upon the Sudanese people to disregard the scum of Omar al-Bashir and his mercenary militias and proceed to overthrow its mangled regime available, including military force. The dismantling of institutions of the regime becomes a duty. Furthermore, the perpetrators of the heinous crimes must be held accountable. Application of Transitional Justice for retribution for the relatives of crime victims and for the thousands of survivors of the inferno of the massacres should follow. ‘Democratic Alternative’ by establishing an inclusive Transitional Government with prescribed tasks formed to implement the following duties:
• Constitutional Conference
• Permanent Constitution for Sudan
• Population Census of the Sudanese People
• Fair Distribution of Electoral Constituencies
• General Elections (Free, Fair, Transparent and monitored by Credible International Observers
• Handover to a Democratically Elected Government that guided by the New Dawn Document (NDD) adopted during the Transitional Period by the Interim Government.
The Presidential Decree No. 158 of 2014 issued by al-Bashir is Old wine in new bottles. The desperate attempts of al-Bashir to trick the Sudanese people into his self-styled national dialogue are futile to the core.
To conclude, political wisdom indicates that The Darkest places in hell are reserved for those who maintain their neutrality in Times of Moral Crisis. Moreover, the famous Irish statesman, author, political theorist and philosopher, Edmond Burke – 12January 1729 – 09July 1797 was quoted as saying: “The only thing necessary for the triumph of Evil is for good men/women to do Nothing”.
Dr. Mahmoud A. Suleiman is the Deputy Chairman of the General Congress for Justice and Equality Movement (JEM). He can be reached at [email protected]. The author also his articles at his blog http://thussudan.wordpress.com/