Sudan's Ruling Party Says Upcoming Changes Will Bring New Faces to Leadership

Sudan President Omar Hassan al-Bashir speaking at a youth rally of the ruling National Congress Party on April 18, 2012. The president said that they would have to liberate the south if provocations continue., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.

WEDNESDAY 15 MAY 2013

Sudan’s NCP says upcoming shuffle will bring new faces

May 14, 2013 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan’s ruling National Congress Party (NCP) has disclosed it would undergo imminent changes within its institutions aiming at promoting youths to leadership positions.

The NCP’s head of the political sector who is also Sudan’s 2nd vice president, Al-Haj Adam Youssef, said at a news conference following his visit to the NCP’s youth secretariat that “leaders who are getting older should pave the way for young people wherever they are”,

Youssef called upon NCP’s youth to assume responsibility and get ready for the next phase stressing that these changes are driven by a strong will from its chairman and president of Sudan Omer Hassan Al-Bashir.

The NCP’s youth secretary, Abdel-Moniem al-Sunni, said that VP Youssef briefed them on the current political and security situation.

He pointed out that youths in all states have joined the Popular Defense Forces (PDF) in order to support the army in its current campaign against Sudan Revolutionary Front (SRF) rebels.

His deputy, Obeid Allah Mohammad, for his part, spoke of imminent changes within party’s institutions in favor of youth leaders but did not elaborate.

There has been growing rumblings for change within the NCP and particularly its younger members who complain that the leadership has grown too old and stagnant.

In 2011 the Sudanese president came under fire during a meeting with the NCP youth who complained about the growing level of corruption which had blighted the economy.

Bashir reportedly promised to form an anti-corruption commission and to increase the participation of youth in the party and government and to introduce changes that prevent NCP figures from serving more than two terms.

The Sudanese leader reiterated this year that he would not run for reelection in 2015 but NCP officials sought to downplay the announcement saying that the party will decide on its presidential candidate and suggested that they could force Bashir to run again.

(ST)