SUDAN’S SPA PROPOSES NEW TRANSITION’S CHARTER EXCLUDING MILITARY COMPONENT

NOVEMBER 7, 2021

November 6, 2021 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA), the spearhead of the December 2019 revolution, on Saturday proposed a new political charter to overthrow the military council and establish a civilian government without the military component.

The draft charter comes as the indirect negotiations between Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok and the Military Council are deadlocked. The military want the formation of a new broad-based government, while Hamdok demands the reinstatement of his cabinet which will carry out new reforms.

The purpose of the new declaration is to “protect and complete the civil democratic transition through peaceful resistance until the overthrow of the Military Council and the formation of a 4-year civilian government committed to the goals of the December Revolution. And the abolition of the 2019 Constitutional Document.”

Also, the draft says that a national figure would be chosen as the prime minister who would form a new transitional cabinet of no more than 20 ministers. Also, the Sovereign Council will consist of 5 figures no more.

The head of the government, the ministers, and the collegial presidency will not include political leaders but national figures supportive of the revolution and its goals.

On October 25, the Military Council overthrew the Hamdok government after trading accusations with the civilian component over the failure to implement security reforms.

The proposed new charter sparked widespread controversy on social media over a provision speaking about the selection of a national figure to lead the transitional government. Many said this disposition implies replacing Hamdok with another prime minister.

The critics also pointed out that the constitutional document of 2019 is linked to the Juba Peace Agreement.

Instead, they point that the Constitutional Document includes mechanisms allowing to amend it and end the participation of the military component in the transition.

In return, the SPA issued a video and written statements to clarify its position saying they have no objection to the Prime Minister Hamdok reminding that they were the ones who proposed his name for the position.

“The intent of this proposal is to explain how to form the civil authority once the coup leaders are ousted”.

The Sudanese professionals stressed that the main objective of this draft is to end the participation of the military component in the transitional government.

They underscored that General al-Burhan remained an obstacle that prevented the abolition of the laws inherited from the ousted regime. Also, he has opposed the dismissal of the  Islamist cadre from the state apparatus and agencies. They further said that the army and its militia hindered the economic reforms as they control 80% of the economic resources in the country and refuse to transfer their companies to the government.

The text proposes to dissolve the security apparatus, saying that the current General Intelligence Service has resumed the same practices and has proven ineffective.

Following the collapse of the al-Bashir regime, the SPA split into two factions. However, recently the two factions were on the verge of reunification when the 25 October coup occurred.

(ST)