Sudan’s dialogue body agrees to accelerate constitutional reforms

October 23, 2016 (KHARTOUM) – The National Dialogue Coordination Committee known as (7+7) Sunday agreed to accelerate the constitutional reforms paving the way for the formation of a transitional government and the implementation of the dialogue resolutions.

On 10 October, political forces participating in the internal process signed the National Document including the basis for a permanent constitution. Also it provides to establish a prime minister post to lead the government and to enlarge the parliament during the transitional period.

“The 7 +7 mechanism agreed to expedite the filing of constitutional amendments due to the lack of time,” said the Information Minister Ahmed al-Balal Osman, adding that the constitutional process needs two months, while the parliament’s term will come to an end within two months. Also, he pointed that there is a commitment to enforce all the dialogue recommendations in three months.

The minister who is also the 7+7 spokesperson said the meeting, which was held without the participation of President Omer al-Bashir, agreed to file the urgent amendments on the modification of the form of government including the creation of a prime minister post, addition of new seats to the parliament and change the name of current “National Unity Government” to the “National Reconciliation Government.”

He added that the committee also agreed to hold further meetings to discuss the implementation of the dialogue outputs. He pointed that the recommendations have been classified into four themes: constitutional amendments, laws amendment and introduction of new laws, presidential decrees, and public policies .

Osman said President al-Bashir was not able to participate in the meeting because he was a little bit sick.

But the Director of the Office of the President Osman Taha denied al-Bashir’s sickness saying the president is in good health and spent his day to receive condolences on the death of the husband of his niece.

He said in a press statement he personally had contacted the Presidential Assistant Ibrahim Mahmoud informing that al-Bashir wouldn’t attend the meeting and directed that the meeting continue without him.

Taha further disclosed that the president will travel in an official visit to Saudi Arabia at the invitation of King Salman.

(ST)