DUP says they will not take part in Sudan’s transitional government

April 22, 2019 (KHARTOUM) – The Vice-President of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) has announced that his party which was allied to President al-Bashir’s government will not take part in the transitional cabinet to be formed by the military council in Sudan.

Jafar Sadiq al-Mirghani told Sudan Tribune on Monday that his party “will not participate in the transitional government at the executive level.”

However, he added they have no objection to participating at the legislative level, urging the other political forces to follow the same path and refrain from participating in the government during the transition.

The military council says they want to form a government from all the political forces including those who were allied to the former regime, like the DUP.

The Freedom and Changes forces that led the four-month protests movement say they want to establish their transitional government without the forces that were part of al-Bashir’s regime.

Al-Mirghani explained that the DUP’s vision is that the transitional period should be one year and in any case not more than two years after which free and fair elections will be held with the participation of all the political forces.

As for the dispute between the opposition forces and the military council over the transitional government, al-Mirghani stressed the need for the parties’ cooperation and solidarity to facilitate the mission of the military council and to allow it to lead the country during this period.

“The consensus among all the components is difficult, but we can all reach the lowest level of consensus to avoid mistrust,” he said.

The DUP which was the second largest party in Sudan before the Islamist coup d’état in 1989 has been divided into several factions during the 30-year former regime. First, a faction split and joined the government when it was in the opposition and when it decided to join the Islamist government another large faction broke away and joined the opposition alliance that toppled al-Bashir’ regime.

Al-Mirghani revealed that the DUP has engaged consultations with the National Umma Party (NUP) led by Sadiq al-Mahdi.

“Mr Sadiq agrees with us in many things. The NUP and the DUP are the two big parties and they have a national responsibility,” he said.

Also, he said that the DUP participation in the former al-Bashir’s governments would not negatively affect the party’s popular support.

“In my opinion, the DUP’s participation is not problematic, because we look into issues impartially and from a national perspective, for the interest of the country,” he said.

Many point to the support of Al-Khatmiyya religious sect which is established and chaired by his family to the party, saying it represents its main electoral base.

In a press conference held in Khartoum on Monday, al-Mirghani expressed his support to the revolution of the Sudanese people that overthrew the Islamist regime.

He warned against circumventing the youth revolution and its demands “which we want to produce free and fair elections,” he added.

“We must continue to dismantle the one-party state and join those who have called for a one-year transitional rule or two years maximum,” he said.

Al-Mirghani called for holding a constitutional conference in the second half of the transitional period with the participation of the armed movements.

The Freedom and Change forces call for a four-year period to achieve peace, economic reforms but also to build their electoral bases after a 30-year totalitarian regime.

The military council says they want a 2-year transitional period.

(ST)