Freedom and Change forces set goals of upcoming meeting with Sudan military junta
May 12, 2019 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese opposition forces of the Freedom and Changes Declaration Sunday said the talks with the military council, which will resume on Monday, should be limited to the power transfer and be concluded on Wednesday.
The opposition has been frustrated by the lack of progress in the talks with the military council which obviously seeks to oversee the transitional period and to have guardianship over the government before organising elections within two years.
The opposition groups which have been backed by the Sudanese street now for more than five months since the eruption of protests last December, on the other hand, see the role of the army should to limited to the issue of security and border protection.
In a statement released on Sunday evening, the freedom and change forces said they handed over their position paper for the meetings which should begin on Monday and reiterated their rejection for the old approach adopted by the military council during the talks.
Accordingly, the opposition said that talks should achieve three goals: speed up power transfer to the revolutionary forces of freedom and change, hold direct discussions on the issues of contention and conclude the talks within 72 hours.
The opposition groups have already said they would launch civilian disobedience on Wednesday.
The two sides held three rounds of talks and the last meeting took place on 29 April.
As they quickly diverged over the composition and powers of the sovereignty council, a kind of collegial presidency, they agreed to exchange first a draft constitutional document governing the institutions of the transitional period.
Once the opposition submitted its draft to the army, the Sudanese generals criticized the interim constitutional proposal and rejected several provisions. Also, they said the text omitted to mention that the Islamic Sharia is the source of legislation.
The military council has to transfer power to civilians by the end of next June in line with a decision taken by the Peace and Security Council of the African Union.
But the Council continues to reach out to regional leaders and seeks to establish contact with Washington and other western capitals to explain the need to give the army means to oversee the transitional process for two years.
(ST)