SPA: New Sudan parliamentary structure ‘will cause complications’

The Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA) has been invited to discuss the formation of a Legislative Council in Sudan, according to new percentages agreed in the Juba Peace Agreement, with the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC).

A new distribution of seats in parliament was agreed in the Juba Peace Agreement by the government and the Sudan Revolutionary Front (SRF) rebel alliance on October 3.

The two parties agreed that the Sudanese states will be restructured into regions that will be represented by 60 per cent of the parliament, distributed according to population density. 40 per cent of the 300 seats will be allocated to women.

The signatories of the peace agreement will be represented in the Transitional Legislative Council by 25 per cent, which equates to 75 seats. 55 per cent will be allocated to the Forces of Freedom and Change, and 20 per cent for both the FFC and the military components of the Sovereign Council.

The SPA reacted to an invitation from the FFC to discuss the details of parliamentary structure in a statement on Thursday.

The new percentages will lead to “the formation of an ineffective and quarrelsome legislative council,” the association warns, and “to complications regarding representation of rebel movements not included in the peace agreement”.

The statement demands fair representation of all the forces of the revolution. A formula must be found to involve Resistance Committees, the Families of the December Revolution Victims, and all minority groups in Sudan in the council. Resistance Committees withdrew from a meeting with the FFC on Wednesday about the distribution of seats in parliament, citing disagreements with the agenda.

According to the professionals association, the FFC Central Council, in its current composition, is not qualified to lead the formation of the Legislative Council.

The SPA announced its rejection of “the individual approach followed by the FFC Central Council by inviting revolutionary groups separately for formal consultations while imposing de facto directions”.

The association, which was the driving force behind the Sudanese uprising that led to the ousting of President Al Bashir in April last year, said that it will work with “the revolutionary forces and civil society groups” to reach a detailed proposal to be presented to the public opinion upon completion.

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