SFR can accept Sudan’s governors provided taking part in the nomination process
April 18, 2020 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese Revolutionary Front (SRF) said willing to the appointment of state governors and the Transitional Legislative Council in Sudan before peace, provided that the process is based on agreed criteria and to take part in the nomination process.
Sudan’s ruling partners of the Freedom and Change Forces, the Sovereign Council and the cabinet, agreed last Saturday to accelerate the completion of transitional authority structures by forming the Legislative Council and appointing civil state governors.
Following what, the Prime Minister addressed a letter to the SRF through mediation to inform it of the decisions of the joint meeting. Also, he had a phone call with the SRF chairman to inform him about the appointment of the governors.
In return, the SRF, whose factions negotiate the Sudanese government in Juba, sent a written response seen by Sudan Tribune to the South Sudanese mediator, Tut Gatluak on Saturday, affirming that the SRF “is, in principle, with the appointment of civilian governors, and dismantling the empowerment of the National Conference in the states.”
The letter said that the appointment should be conducted according to transparent standards that ensure competence, experience, ethnic diversity, women’s participation, non-partisanship, and popular acceptance. Also, it voiced its rejection of any appointment based on “party loyalty or quotas based on narrow organizational selfishness”.
Furthermore, the armed groups demanded to be involved in the establishment of these benchmarks and to be associated with the selection of governors.
“The matrix which led to the decision to appoint the governors and form the Legislative Council (…) was written in the absence of the Revolutionary Front, although it is a full partner in the revolution-making process, in the peace process, and a founding member of the Forces for Freedom and Change,” stressed the SRF.
Following the collapse of the former regime, the SRF and some of its allied political force of the FFC were invited in a regional capital to discuss ways to include them in a government led by the Transitional Military Council.
The FFC rejected foreign meddling in Sudan’s internal affairs as they call for a civilian government while the SRF demanded peace talks before to return to Sudan pointing to the root causes of the conflict in the conflict areas.
The armed groups in their letter to the government said that the “highest priority” must be given to speeding up the peace process by taking courageous decisions on the outstanding issues and to complete the remaining security arrangements to complete peace in line with the agreed time table.
They further warned that the government’s insistence on the appointment of state governors and formation of the Transitional Legislative Council, without consideration to the SRF’s position and the priority of peace, “will force the Revolutionary Front to suspend negotiations in Juba”.
Earlier this year, the FFC submitted to Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok a list of 18 nominees to be appointed as governors without allowing him to amend the list of nominees like what happened in the past when the cabinet was appointed.
Recently, they criticized Hamdok for leaving the peace file in the hands of the Sovereign Council pointing that the latter agreed with the SRF on September 11, 2019, to delay the appointment of governors until the signing of a peace agreement.
The FFC pointed out that the agreement was a clear breach of the transitional constitution which provides to appoint civilian governors and parliament within three months from the date of signing the Constitutional Declaration.
(ST)