Sudan President’s State of Emergency in El Gezira criticised as ‘unlawful and unconstitutional’

The decision late on Sunday by Sudan’s President Omar Al Bashir to declare a State of Emergency and dissolve the Legislative Council of El Gezira state has met with wide condemnation with assertions that it is in violation of the law.

Mohamed El Jak Abushama, of the leadership of the alliance of farmers El Gezira, described the decision to dissolve the legislative council and declare the state of emergency in El Gezira as “a coup within the regime and against the people and freedoms”.

He told Radio Dabanga that “the shameful decision of the presidency came to dissolve an elected legislative council so as to realise the wishes of an appointed governor who spent a lot of money of the state in projects that do not represent priorities.

“The appointed governor has not adhered to the proper methods of spending, which enables conducting financial accounting in accordance with the laws in the country; which confirms the corruption”.

‘Conflict within the regime’

Abushama told Radio Dabanga that the residents of El Gezira disregarded the decisions of Al Bashir which dissolved the legislative council. “The current conflict is within the regime, in which the appointed governor ignored even the members of the ruling National Congress Party.”

In Khartoum, MPs and lawmakers also criticised Al Bashir's decision.

Kamal Omar Abdelsalam, the head of the parliamentary caucus of the Popular Congress Party said “The state in El Gezira does not require a declaration of emergency under the constitution”.

He said that “what is happening in El Gezira is a political conflict and not a situation that requires declaring a state of emergency”.

Siddig Nugddallah of the leadership of the National Umma Party and a member of the legislation committee considered the republican decree void and contrary to the constitution.

MP Hasan Osman Rizig of the leadership of the Reform Now Movement called on the members of the legislative council of El Gezira to file a constitutional challenge against the decision of the President.

Yesterday Rizig told reporters that they rejected Al Bashir's decision to impose an emergency on El Gezira and dissolve the legislative council.