Opposition accuses NCP of deliberately delaying Sudan’s dialogue
October 11, 2014 (KHARTOUM) – An opposition party participating in the national dialogue accused the National Congress Party (NCP)-led government of deliberately delaying the dialogue with the intent to hold the general elections before the political process.
Three months later, he issued presidential decrees releasing political freedoms and preventing censorship of the media. However, the security services continue to arrest opponents and activists.
In May 2014 security agents arrested Sadiq al-Mahdi, leader of the National Umma Party followed by Ibrahim al-Sheik chairman of the Sudanese Congress Party. The leaders of the two opposition parties criticised the war crimes and atrocities committed by the militiamen in Darfur.
Speaking in a debate organised by the official Sudan TV on Saturday, a leading member of the opposition Reform Now Movement (RNM) Hassan Rizik said “there is a deliberate delay of the national dialogue”.
Rizik who is a member of the national dialogue mechanism stressed that this delay “leads practically to postpone the national dialogue until the conduct of the elections” scheduled for April 2015.
He went further to emphasise that the road map signed on 9 August by the parties participating in the national dialogue provides the need to agree on the electoral law and its mechanism, adding it was possible to agree on the postponement of the elections.
The ruling party and the National Elections Commission (NEC) refuse to postpone the election saying no one has the right to delay it.
Ahmed al-Balal, information minister and co-spokesperson of the national dialogue committee who participated in the debate reiterated the government rejection to postpone the elections.
“If the elections are postponed and the national dialogue fails to reach an agreement what will be the fate of the country then?” wondered al-Balal who is a member of the Democratic Unionist Party led by Mohamed Osman am-Mirghani.
The minister further said “the postponement of elections before to reach an agreement in the national dialogue will be an adventure” adding that “the opposition would not participate in the elections even if it had been postponed for 50 years”
Al-Balal also rejected accusations that the government seeks deliberately to postpone the dialogue saying the process had been delayed because they were waiting the release of the NUP leader Sadiq al-Mahdi and because of the knee operation of president al-Bashir.
The minister affirmed that the dialogue committee known as 7+7 would resume its meeting within a week.
He also said taht talks with the rebel groups on a cessation of hostilities agreement would be held in Addis Ababa when the mediation fix the time schedule.
The African Union High Level Implementation Panel (AUHIP) called for a meeting on 12 October between the government and the SPLM-N and another meeting on 16 October for Darfur groups to discuss a cessation of hostilities ahead of another meeting including all the political forces to discuss a framework agreement.
But the government declined the invitation saying that several members of its negotiating team perform the Hajj and the proposed dates also coincides with the NCP convention, as many other members are involved in the preparation for this important conference.
Government top negotiator and presidential assistant Ibrahim Ghandour announced that the AUHIP brokered talks would resume after the 25 October.
(ST)