DUP leaders to hold “decisive” press conference on political situation

January 18, 2015 (KHARTOUM) – The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) will hold a press conference on Monday afternoon to make “decisive” statements on the current political situation, one of its organisers told Sudan Tribune on Sunday.

The leading DUP figure, who spoke on condition of anonymity, declined to give specifics but stressed that leaders of the party “will resolve important issues and put dots on letters during the meeting with journalists”.

Last week a dissenting DUP group calling itself “DUP Movement of masses and sectors” led by Sheikh Hassan Abu-Sabeeb rejected party chief Mohamed Osman al-Mirghani’s decision to back president Omer Hassan al-Bashir’s candidacy in the upcoming elections and to contest in the polls.

The group also announced the composition of a transitional politburo and complete boycott of the elections and pulling out of participation in the government.

Abu-Sabeeb said at the time that they categorically reject the party’s participation in the elections even if it was upon orders from al-Mirghani himself.

He said the NCP offering not to compete in 30% of constituencies to allow the opposition parties to gain them contrary to democracy and eliminates the role of the National Elections Commission (NEC).

“Why are elections held if you are handing out constituencies?…As if the NCP won all the constituencies and wants to give charity to other political forces,” Abu-Sabeeb said.

He stressed that most of the DUP leaders are completely sidelined from everything that goes on in the party which is now managed by only four people.

The DUP leading figure Ali Nayil blasted Al-Mirghani’s son al-Hassan saying they had pinned hopes on him but has disappointed after he sat down with the ruling party and is responding positively to the views of the participants in the government and power-thirsty people.

He also accused the ruling party of conspiring against the DUP.

“We will not be silent and we will not let the party die and end as wanted by al-Tayeb al-Mustafa, who are part of the ruling regime,” Nayil said.

“Contesting in the elections will lead to the end of the DUP and will be a stain on the brow of the party,” he added.

The DUP left opposition ranks and joined the “broad-based” government of the NCP in December 2011, citing the “need to save the country” in the words of al-Mirghani himself.

The decision of one of Sudan’s biggest opposition parties to join the government has created a great deal of internal dissent that saw many members quitting in protest. The party received three ministries in the federal cabinet.

(ST)