Sudan Legislative Council formation extended to December 31

The Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) announced that the formation of a Legislative Council will take place later than planned, on December 31 this year.

The FFC said in a press statement on Thursday that they discussed the issue of forming the parliament in light of current developments related to the Juba peace protocols and the reservations of the Sudan Revolutionary Front (SRF) rebel alliance.

The statement emphasised FFC’s efforts to reach national consensus. “To include the vision of our partners in the SRF, and without compromising the duty and entitlement to establish a transitional parliament, it was agreed to postpone the formation to 31 December, so that we can take the views of the SRF into consideration, and to have a comprehensive dialogue with those groups that are not signatories to the Declaration of Freedom and Change about their share in the parliament structure, in accordance with the provisions of the 2019 Constitutional Document.”

The Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA), the driving force behind the uprising that led to the ousting of the regime of President Omar Al Bashir in April last year, has been critical about the FFC’s proposals concerning the distribution of the 300 parliamentary seats.

In a statement on November 5, the SPA demanded fair representation of “all the forces of the revolution,” including members of the resistance committees active in many towns and villages of the country, the Families of the December Revolution Victims, and the minority groups in Sudan.

A day earlier, leaders of resistance committees withdrew from a meeting with the FFC about the distribution of seats in parliament, citing disagreements on the agenda.

Activists have previously criticised the policies of the FFC, that is currently sharing power with the military in the Sovereign Council.

Following mass demonstrations on June 30, calling for a correction of the course of the revolution, members of the Resistance Committees threatened to escalate their actions to "have the voice of the people heard". At the commemoration of the October 21 Revolution of 1964, thousands of Sudanese people took to the streets once again, calling for the goals of the current revolution be achieved, the course of the current revolution corrected, and the transitional power structures completed.

‘Youth groups are not part of the FFC, but they all played a very important role in the ousting of the former regime’ – Resistance Committee member

On November 11, young members of Resistance Committees in Khartoum state told Dabanga Sudan’s radio programme Toward Democracy that they do not agree with the current agreement on the allocation of seats of the Legislative Council.

Shamson Yohanna said from El Salama in southern Khartoum that he expects the Legislative Council will not represent the people. “The largest percentage goes to the FFC, and they do not represent youth like us in the Resistance Committees, women, and the members of the armed struggle movements.

“Youth groups are no part of the FFC, but they all played a very important role in the ousting of the former regime.”

Activist Mohamed Omar, member of a resistance committee in Karari, Omdurman agreed. “The FFC must be reformed to represent the revolution. The majority is formed by the revolutionaries who are mostly members of the Resistance Committees, the professional forces, and other revolutionary forces, representing the protestors, the killed, injured, missing, dismissed, and other oppressed and people. If they are selected as members of the Legislative Council and form the majority, this will be the correct beginning of the real revolution.” 

According to Mustafa Rashid, member of resistance committee in Burri El Lamab in Khartoum, “members of Resistance Committees who all risked their lives during the protests should be included in the Legislative Council.”

Radio Dabanga’s editorial independence means that we can continue to provide factual updates about political developments to Sudanese and international actors, educate people about how to avoid outbreaks of infectious diseases, and provide a window to the world for those in all corners of Sudan. Support Radio Dabanga for as little as €2.50, the equivalent of a cup of coffee.