Sudan’s opposition forces discuss transitional period arrangements
March 3, 2019 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan’s opposition forces have begun detailed discussions on the tasks of the transitional period and naming those who will lead the country after the collapse of the ruling regime.
In a joint statement issued on 13 February, the opposition forces emphasized that the Declaration of Freedom and Change of 1 January 2019 is the main reference to develop the arrangements of the transitional period, together with the previous agreements especially the Charter of the restructuring of the Sudanese state of April 2016.
Merriam al-Mahdi, the deputy leader of the National Umma Party (NUP) told to Sudan Tribune on Sunday that a Coordinating Committee formed by the various opposition forces that signed the Declaration of Freedom and Change is developing the mechanisms leading to ensure a peaceful transition and ways to achieve peace, economic and constitutional reforms.
“On 13 February, we announced that the declaration of freedom and change and the declaration on Structuring the Sudanese state are the main references for the arrangements of the transitional period. So, now we are developing it especially the latter which is signed in 2016 needs to be updated to fit with new developments in terms of war and peace and to include details of the transitional period,” Merriam said.
“Also, we are discussing the names that will be put forward by the political forces to lead the transitional period and talk and the constitution,” she further said.
The NUP leader Sadiq al-Mahdi who is also the leader of the Sudan Call alliance on Saturday called on President Omer al-Bashir to step down and proposed some measures he said could pave the way for an end to the current stand-off between the army and the people.
Al-Mahdi further said al-Bashir resignation would pave the way for peaceful power transfer and to end the armed conflict.
Further, he said that al-Bashir should meet with representatives of popular, professional and civil forces that demand a new order “to agree on the details of the transition to the new regime”.
Merriam said the opposition groups would work on a draft constitution prepared by the National Consensus Forces in the past when the NUP was part of that alliance to develop it to become a transitional constitution.
According to Merriam, the issue of peace and war would be discussed within the framework of democratic transition. Also, she stressed that the armed groups would participate in the transitional period through the Sudan Call alliance.
“In addition, we have formed political committees to deal with other detailed issues before announcing our readiness to lead the transitional period, knowing its details, its tasks, who would conduct it and to what it would lead.
(ST)