Al-Bashir says ready for 2020 elections as Sudanese opposition calls to campaign against him

September 30, 2018 (KHARTOUM) – Sudanese President Omer al-Bashir repeated Sunday that his government is ready for the 2020 elections and would not postpone it, while the opposition Sudan Call launched a campaign against his re-election for a third term.

The ruling National Congress Party (NCP) Saturday quickly denied reports about the possible postponement of the elections to give the party the needed time to improve the economic situation in the country and better prepare for the popular vote.

In remarks he made on Sunday before an NCP youth meeting in Khartoum, al-Bashir who is also the NCP leader said elections will be held as scheduled, pointing out there is no reason to postpone it.

“The Sudanese people have the right to vote. We respect their opinion and have prepared ourselves for the elections,” he said.

Also, the president did not exclude any alliance with the other political forces during the upcoming elections, adding that alliances could be formed to reduce the large number of political parties.

He added that the electronic voting devices could be used to facilitate the electoral process.

Until recently, al-Bashir was not clearly determined to run for a third term as the constitution of 2005 and the NCP status prohibit for an incumbent president to serve more than two consecutive terms.

But on Sunday, he openly declared his readiness for the elections after his nomination for the party’s candidate by the NCP Shura (Consultative) last August.

CAMPAIGN AGAINST BASHIR’S REELECTION

For its part, the Sudan Call alliance in Khartoum launched a campaign against any attempt to abolish presidential term limits in the constitution.

The opposition umbrella said they reject scrapping term limits for the president because al-Bashir and his regime are responsible for the dismemberment of the country and collapse of its economy.

“It is the duty of all of the Sudanese, to confront him and his regime through various means of peaceful resistance,” stressed the statement.

The alliance called on all the Sudanese to take part in this campaign and to support it, adding it would be a nationwide campaign in order to “awaken the culture of resistance and to blow up the energies of the revolution”.

Several opposition groups earlier this year, said they are ready to take part in the 2020 elections if al-Bashir did not run for a new term. They also called for the release freedoms and the end of the war.

(ST)