Sudan’s Bashir renews calls to join national dialogue

December 31, 2014 (KHARTOUM) – Sudanese president Omer al-Bashir renewed his call for the opposition and rebel forces to join the national dialogue process and stressed the seriousness of his government to achieve national unity but reiterated his refusal to the postponement of April elections.

“The national dialogue is a strategic objective. It is not manoeuvre as touting by certain people and we will not accept bargaining and bidding, or allow disabling it or to stopping it,” al-Bashir said in a speech delivered to mark the 59th anniversary of Sudan’s independence on Wednesday.

Bashir affirmed his rejection to delaying the 2015 elections, as demanded by opposition forces, saying: “The election is a constitutional entitlement that we should enforce. Those who talk about its postponement, forget that it is one of the frameworks for popular dialogue”.

“Who wants to postpone the elections hinders this popular dialogue,” he added.

The Sudanese president called last January on political parties and rebel groups to take part in a national conference on peace and constitutional reforms, adding that this process should be held inside the country without foreign intervention.

He also pointed out that the rebels have to sign security arrangements agreements before joining the process.

The opposition, on the other side, reacted differently to the call, but shared same view on postponement of elections, ensuring political freedoms and basic human rights as top priorities for the creation of a conducive environment.

Some Islamist parties like the Popular Congress Party (PCP) and the Reform Now Movement (RNM) joined the process, hoping to convince the ruling party to make the needed concessions.

The National Umma Party (NUP) suspended its participation in the process following the one month arrest of its leader Sadiq al-Mahdi in May 2014. Since then, it joined the opposition National Consensus Forces (NCF) in its call for the need to implement the confidence building measures before engaging in the process.

The rebel groups echoed the opposition demands and added the humanitarian access as a requirement for the confidence building measures. The African Union brokered process that has so far failed up to now to reach an agreement between rebels and Khartoum on cessation of hostilities.

Bashir advised the political forces to join the electoral process and to stop scepticism, negativism and not prejudge the election results before it is held.

Last week the opposition parties participating in the national dialogue sacked two members of their bloc because they agreed to participate in the elections.

(ST)