Sudan’s ruling party mulls over restructuring government media organisations
September 6, 2017 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan’s ruling National Congress Party (NCP) has begun a series of consultations to reorganise all government media organs and replace their managers within the framework of preparation for the general elections in 2020.
The changes would include the directors of the media bodies and their boards of directors. Also, it intends to inject new blood in the different services of the media sector within the ruling party, such as the Press Service and the Electronic Publishing Service.
The sources told Sudan Tribune that the National Congress Party has already begun consultations to choose new leaders for these organs and now examining several nominations.
” President Omer al-Bashir and his first deputy, Bakri Hassan Saleh, more than once expressed the displeasure of the state leadership over the performance of the government media organisation,” stressed the sources.
“Media in the past period failed to promote major reforms such as the (political) reform and the collection of weapons” he further said.
Sudan TV recently faced several difficulties to the extent that it failed to broadcast the main news programme, and the inability to pay the salaries of staff.
He pointed to the rise of conflicts within the employees of government media institutions, which reflected negatively on their performance, and the emergence of “divergences” on the media role between the National Congress Party and the Islamic Movement.
The sources pointed out that internal conflicts and the absence of a “central vision” in the government controlled media led to the establishment of alternative media organisations such as Radio Bladi which is supported by the National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS), adding that the latter has the intention to establish TV channels and newspapers.
(ST)