Republic of Sudan President Bashir Says 2015 Elections Won't Be Delayed

Republic of Sudan President Omar Hassan al-Bashir holding talks with Republic of South Sudan President Salva Kiir in Juba on January 6, 2014. They have denied establishing a joint force., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.

SUNDAY 9 FEBRUARY 2014

Sudan’s Bashir says 2015 elections won’t be delayed

February 8, 2014 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir announced that the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) has no intention of delaying the upcoming 2015 elections and reiterated his call to political parties to engage in national dialogue and be part of next year’s polls.

He stressed in his address to the emergency meeting of the NCP’s Shura (consultative) council on Saturday that the government will initiate a national dialogue with all political forces without exclusion to discuss issues including peace, economic conditions, political freedoms and the Sudanese identity.

Bashir also said the government is willing to negotiate with the armed rebel groups provided that they lay down arms, affirming that the country is entering a new phase in which NCP seeks to bring the Sudanese people together.

He said the speech which he delivered recently mentioned several issues including the incomplete peace process, saying that several rebel groups continue to bear arms against the government.

The Sudanese president also said they seek to achieve responsible freedom which takes into account the national interests.

“Extreme trends have developed into the society such as regionalism and ethnicity, but we want Sudan[national identity] to be the sole identity”, he added

He further asserted that the 2015 elections will take place on time adding that the NCP seeks to agree with majority of the political forces to participate in it.

“We began our contacts with the political forces in order to pave the way for the national dialogue”, he said.

Late last month, Bashir delivered a speech in which he announced a four-point plan for reform "to stop the war and bring peace, free political society, fight against poverty and revitalize national identity", calling for political forces to engage in dialogue to agree on the implementation items though he did not specify practical steps to do so.

The long awaited speech that was expected to unveil a major reform proposal, created a wave of disappointment among those who followed it including opposition leaders who were present.

Opposition figures who were present made statements either personally or through their parties criticizing the lack of specifics and excessive generalities that gave no real signs of concessions on the part of the ruling party.

Sudan’s opposition parties call for forming a transitional government and holding a national conference with the participation of rebel groups to discuss a peaceful solution for the conflicts in Darfur region, South Kordofan, and Blue Nile states.

The interim government would organize general elections once a political agreement on constitutional matters is reached, inaugurating a new democratic regime. But the NCP rejects this proposal saying opposition parties must simply prepare for the 2015 elections and that rebels should sign first peace accords.

(ST)


MONDAY 10 FEBRUARY 2014

Sudan’s NCP doesn’t rule out nominating 1st VP for presidency

February 9, 2014 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan’s ruling National Congress Party (NCP) has not ruled out nominating the first vice president, Bakri Hassan Salih, for presidency in the 2015 elections.

The NCP secretary of mobilization, Bilal Osman Amin, denied that nomination of Salih contradicts with the political organizations law which prevents persons of combining military and political positions.

He told reporters on Sunday following a meeting of the NCP deputy chairman, Ibrahim Ghandour with the states governors that Bakri currently holds political post besides being a member of the NCP’s leading office and stressed there is no legal restriction on his candidacy, pointing it is too early to speak in this regard.

In a separate issue, Bilal said the NCP seeks to renew its leadership and asserted it abounds with qualified people, pointing that NCP approved a statute restricting tenure of a member in the same position to two terms.

He reiterated that the issue of re-nominating president, Omer Hassan Al-Bashir in the upcoming elections is the responsibility of NCP’s institutions.

“The NCP is full of qualified political members who hold higher degrees and so we expect major changes extending from the party’s base to its top leadership”, he added

Bilal pointed that NCP statute restricts person’s tenure to two terms, affirming that NCP presidential candidate will be selected in the party convention which will be held next October.

Bashir has been ruling Sudan since taking power in an Islamist-backed military coup in 1989.

In 2009 he became the first sitting head of state to be served with an arrest warrant from the ICC for war crimes and crimes against humanity allegedly committed in the Darfur conflict, which according to the UN, led to the death of 300,000 people and displacement of 2.7 million in 2003-2004.

He had previously made public his intention to step down at the end of his term in 2015, but several NCP officials said that Bashir would be re-nominated for a new term.

The NCP dismissed the head of its parliamentary bloc and former presidential advisor, Ghazi Salah Al-Deen Al-Attabani for saying that the 2005 constitution states that the president can only stay for a maximum of two terms.

He also underscored that stability of the regime is contingent upon adhering to the law of the land.

(ST)