Sudan’s NCP mulls make up of new cabinet

May 15, 2015 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan’s ruling National Congress Party (NCP) has tasked a committee headed by the presidential assistant Ibrahim Ghandour to consider the formation of a new government after the general elections held last April.

The NCP candidates swept the legislative and presidential elections boycotted by opposition parties which called to postpone the polls and hold a national dialogue. The ruling party won 323 seats out of 426 parliamentary seats, the remaining constituencies are given to the allied parties.

Speaking after a meeting of the NCP leadership council on Friday evening, Ghandour said that a new government will be formed after the sown-in ceremony of the re-elected president Omer al-Bashir on 2 June.

“The country will not see a constitutional void,” he added.

According to the presidential aide, the NCP leadership meeting headed by president al-Bashir, also discussed the election of the members of upper house of parliament, Council of States, which will take place on 19 May.

The regional legislative assemblies elect three people, including at least one woman, to represent the state at the upper house.

The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) announced last week its readiness to participate in the new national government but disclosed they were not yet consulted by the ruling party.

Last Wednesday 13 May, DUP leading member and minister of cabinet affairs Ahmed Saad Omer said they are ready to participate in the new government even with one minister, in order to contribute to the resolution of Sudan conflicts.

However, Omer denied being consulted by the NCP committee on the formation of the new cabinet.

The DUP official was referring to a previous statement by Ghandour on the first of May about the start of consultations with the allied political forces on the composition of the new government .

(ST)