FFC denies proposing to cede presidency to Sudan’s military council
May 22, 2019 (KHARTOUM) – The Forces Freedom and Change (FFC) denied proposing to cede the presidency of the Sovereign Council to the military council against accepting to grant them a simple majority of civilians during the transitional period.
According to a report by the German news agency DPA, the Freedom and Change Forces made the at the end of the negotiating session on Monday, demanding to allocate six seats for the civilians and five for the militaries.
However, an FFC official told Sudan Tribune in the early hours of Wednesday that “this report was not accurate” adding that no proposals were made in this regard to the military council.
“On the other hand, it is true that some of the coalition forces, such as the Sudan Call and the Gathering of Unionists, have no objection to giving the presidency of the Sovereign Council provided the FFC gets the majority, while the National Consensus Forces and the Communist Party, in particular, are opposed to the move,” said the FFC official under the cover of anonymity.
“As for the Sudanese Professionals Association, their position is volatile and demand the rotating presidency, and this may be due to the pressure of sit-inners,” he added.
During the last meeting on Monday, the opposition groups proposed the rotating presidency 18 months for the military followed by 18 months for the civilians. The duration of the transitional period is three years.
The Communist Party, in a statement Tuesday, has stuck to its refusal to cede the presidency to the military council.
“The military junta is an extension of the ousted regime. The evidence that they kept the symbols of the (former) regime in their positions of leadership in the state apparatus, in addition to the militias and organizations of the (al-Bashir’s) regime to facilitate its gradual return,” said the statement.
The two sides held a series of meetings on Sunday and Monday, in which they failed to reach an agreement on the Sovereign council as they both demands the majority and the presidency.