Sudan’s PCP Joins Groups Rejecting New Political Initiative

Kamal Omer, PCP official

April 20, 2022 (KHARTOUM) – The Islamist Popular Congress Party (PCP) on Wednesday rejected a political initiative endorsed by political groups allied to the al-Bashir regime, saying it aims to consolidate the coup leaders’ grip on power.

An initiative made by the African Center for Governance, Peace and Transformation Studies and the Center for Peace and Development Studies sparked widespread controversy.

The move forced the National Umma Party and the Democratic Unionist Party to mark their distance from a text drafted by some people suspected of being close to the security service, as they said.

In turn, on Wednesday, the PCP rejected the document and underscored that the presence of one of its leading members, Bashir Adam Rahma was not linked to the party.

PCP Spokesman Awad Falestini told the Sudan Tribune that Rahma attended in his capacity as a member of Sudan’s Elders Committee.

“The initiative aimed to hinder the efforts to solve the problems that the country is facing,” said Falestini.

Normally, all the initiatives that have been made by the political forces and alliances have to be submitted to the tripartite mechanism including the UNITAMS, the African Union and the IGAD, which prepare to launch a Sudanese-led dialogue process.

PCP Political Secretary Kamal Omer, in separate statements, criticized the document stressing that it proposes to hold the elections in May 2024 while there is a consensus on 2023.

In addition, Omer said there is a rejection of a coalition government between the civilian and military components while this initiative calls for partnership between the two sides.

This initiative is “a clear “procrastination on the part of bodies that have lost impartiality and nationalistic figures who have lost their will and are working in favour of the military’s grip on power,” he said.

He added that the remainder of the transitional period should not exceed a year.

Also; he stressed that the Sovereign Council must be entirely composed of civilians and a technocrat government with an independent prime minister.