Al-Bashir calls for broader dialogue to end Sudan’s political crisis
April 5, 2019 (KHARTOUM) – Sudanese President Omer al Bashir has called for broader dialogue in the country to end the ongoing political crisis saying it is the only way to achieve democratic transformations in Sudan.
On 22 February, al-Bashir declared the state of emergency and ordered to establish an emergency court to try protesters. Further, he called on the opposition for a dialogue to be based on the outcome of the national dialogue conference of October 2016.
In a statement released after a meeting with the National Dialogue’s High Coordination Committee on Friday, the Sudanese presidency said al-Bashir reaffirmed that the expanded dialogue is the “only safe way” to reach a new political reality governed by transparency, justice, equal opportunities and public freedoms.
President al-Bashir renewed the state’s commitment to creating a conducive environment to hold a dialogue on the measures required for this purpose., further said the presidency.
Once concluded, the expanded dialogue “will enable the Sudanese people to freely choose their leadership through transparent and fair elections that are compatible with all procedural and substantive conditions,”.
Also, these conditions will be detailed in new election law, he said pointing to the government readiness to review all the existing legislation and procedures related to the elections including a law recently endorsed by the parliament.
He emphasized that this process will include all the Sudanese opposition forces inside and outside the country including the armed groups.
The Sudanese opposition leader Sadiq al-Mahdi on the same day called on President al-Bashir to step down and dissolve the government and parliament. He also suggested him to hand over his power to 25 people nominated by the opposition to form a constituent assembly to establish the desired new regime.
“You know that there are factors preventing you from exercising all the powers of the presidency, and Sudan is facing obstacles accordingly,” he stressed.
However, al-Bashir told the dialogue mechanism “the presidency role will be limited to be “the incubator of the dialogue” and will oversee the political process. While the participants will decide and implement the resolutions they agree upon.
The opposition groups say al-Bashir and his regime governed Sudan during the past three decades and failed to achieve peace or to establish a democratic regime. They stress that they will not accept less than the departure of his regime.
(ST)