Islamist forces call to task military with Sudan’s transitional leadership
April 24, 2019 (KHARTOUM) – Sudanese Islamic forces called for a transitional period led by the military council with a civilian government and an appointed parliamentary assembly.
The call was made on Tuesday by the Popular Congress Party (PCP) and the National Coordination for Change and construction (NCCC) after separate meetings with the political committee of the transitional council.
“The army has played a decisive role to achieve change in the country when it stood by the people,” said Idris Suleiman, political secretary of the Popular Congress Party in statements to the official news agency SUNA after the meeting.
He said that the PCP does not want to participate in the transitional government, noting that it must be composed of politically independent qualified personalities with the needed competence, experience and know-how.
“We are not with the option of a joint military-civilian council, either it is a military or civilian sovereign council,” he stressed.
The PCP political secretary was referring to the proposal of the Freedom and Change forces which call for a collegial presidency including military and civilian personality.
Suleiman said that the transitional period should be for one year after the adoption of a transitional constitution. He added that his party submitted a proposal for a transitional constitution to the military council.
In a separate meeting, the Political Committee of the military council received the proposals of the National Coordination for Change and Construction (NCCC) on the transitional period.
The NCCC includes a number of Islamic leaders known for their criticism of the government of President Bashir.
“The interim military council should be in charge of the sovereignty of the country during the transitional period, alongside a civilian government of independent personalities, as well as a legislative council that monitors the government performance,” Shafie Ahmed Mohamed, head of the coordination, told SUNA after the meeting.
He added that the interim constitution of 2005 and the amendments made to it until 2011 is the most valid document for the transitional period.
The Military Council had announced that the Political Committee is seconded by a group of experts and university professors to study the proposals submitted by the political and social forces on how to manage the country during the transitional period.
For its part, the Freedom and Change forces announced the suspension of contacts with the political committee, while the Sudanese Professionals Associated called to organize popular protests against the junta to force it to hand over power to the opposition groups and to recognize their revolutionary legitimacy.
Sudanese opposition groups that led the 4-month protests against the rule of President Omer al-Bashir accuse the head of the military council Omer Zain al-Abdin who is an Islamist military of seeking to include the Islamist forces in the transitional period arrangements.
But the council denies the charge saying they only seek to establish a political consensus and to keep the national cohesion.
(ST)