Turabi’s party tells government their patience ‘running thin’ with national dialogue
June 8, 2015 (KHARTOUM) – The Popular Congress Party (PCP) led by Hassan al-Turabi issued a warning to the government that it is running out of patience over the delay in launching the national dialogue, stressing that they will not wait much longer after the formation of the new government for that to occur.
Since that time, the National Umma Party (NUP) led by former Prime Minister al-Sadiq al-Mahdi, Reform Now Party (RNP) led by Bashir’s ex-adviser Ghazi Salah al-Din al-Attabani and Just Peace Forum (JPF) led by Bashir’s maternal uncle al-Tayeb Mustafa have withdrawn from the dialogue for various reasons that were mainly related to accusing the government of reneging on its commitments for creating a conducive environment and allowing public liberties.
The government has stepped up its crackdown on opposition parties, NGO’s and media houses since the launch of the national dialogue.
From the start the Sudanese Communist Party (SCP), Ba’ath Party and rebel groups have rejected the invitation to join the national dialogue.
The PCP political relations official Kamal Omer told reporters at a news conference on Monday that the government has no excuse for delaying the dialogue after the formation of the new government which was announced last weekend.
“Our patience has run out and things have reached near their ends and we will not tolerate and we will not let the NCP control us,” Omer said.
He emphasized that the 7+7 national dialogue mechanism will not wait for the government and will proceed to contact the rebels and parties that have rejected the dialogue.
Omer said that Bashir’s speech before the parliament after taking the oath carried a conciliatory spirit through guarantees he offered to rebels and political forces that rejected dialogue to ensure their participation in the national dialogue and to secure their presence.
But the PCP official said Bashir’s speech ignored the issue of political detainees, and said “it was necessary for President Bashir to make a decision to release the detainees and to stop the war”.
He pointed out that those decisions if made would have given Bashir’s speech more credibility and warned that arrests, confiscation of newspapers and preventing opposition leaders from travelling abroad would have a negative impact on the dialogue.
He called on Bashir to provide full freedom to political forces and rebels to express their views on what the country is going through.
“Without freedoms there will not be dialogue,” Omer said.
With regard to the new government formation, Omer said they are not against individuals, but against state policies and programs and stressed that changing ministers will not benefit the country without a change in policies.
He also slammed the constitutional amendment earlier this year that stripped people from the right to elect their governors and gave Bashir the power to appoint them.
Omer further criticized statements by last parliament speaker about the assembly’s intention to draft a permanent constitution noting that the parliament “does not have the power to design the constitution because the ruling party controls it”.
(ST)