Sudan’s VP downplays poll boycott campaigns
March 10, 2015 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan’s 2nd Vice President, Hassabo Mohamed Abdel-Rahman repeated the position of his government and the ruling party by dismissing opposition calls on voters to boycott the elections.
Abdel-Rahman, who addressed a meeting in the locality of Um-Badda in Khartoum’s twin city of Omdurman on Tuesday, said opposition calls for the regime’s departure should be directed at those who don’t have public support.
He underscored that president Omer Hassan al-Bashir enjoys large popular support which legitimizes his stay in power, stressing his government’s desire to engage in a comprehensive dialogue with the opposition to spare the country from the evils of discord.
SQUATTER SETTLEMENTS
The VP also inaugurated a project which aims to transform Um-Badda to an area free of squatter buildings and handed over residential lots to 47,000 families.
He described the project as Sudan’s largest achievement since independence, vowing to provide services for these new lots.
The governor of Khartoum, Abdel-Rahman al-Khidir for his part, said they designated two areas south of Jebel Awliya and west of Um-Badda for the newly arrived IDP’s in order to provide services for them.
Al-Khidir said his government will complete planning of the squatter areas by mid-year, saying they will not allow any squatter buildings following completion of the plan.
Azhari Fadl al-Mawla, minister of urban planning, said that the resettlement program will be implemented across the state, announcing that land registration fees will be cut by 50%.
The commissioner of Um-Badda locality, Abdel-Latif Fidaili, said they planned 21 neighborhoods and demolished all empty houses so that they do not pose a security threat.
(ST)