Sudan’s opposition parties reject President Al Bashir’s speech

President Omar Al Bashir has announced that the upcoming elections will take place early in 2015. He affirmed the state’s determination to establish a national peace council that will launch political initiatives of national nature in the move toward peace by following-up steps to finalize and implement its obligations through wide political consultations. The President also expressed his concerns about the September protests against the price increases, stating that “some thought it was an opportunity to overthrow the regime, by inciting citizens to be disobedient and protest, and by prompting criminal groups to destroy, loot and kill”. He reported that investigations have resulted in criminal charges against 58 demonstrators. The National Consensus Forces (NCF, a coalition of all the main opposition parties) have described Al Bashir’s speech to the National Parliament on Tuesday as “bad and not in line with the current circumstances”, calling on the Sudanese to “stand up in order to overthrow the regime”. The Spokesman for the NCF, Kamal Omar, told Radio Dabanga that they expected the President in his speech to tackle the crisis of the country at large, saying “Sudan is burning, its people are trying to survive in a severe economic crisis”. Omar also commented on the President’s description of the peaceful demonstrators as criminals who have to be brought to trial, wondering “who will prosecute the offender? The real offender is the regime that kills people every day”. The NCF also rejects Al Bashir’s call for elections. According to Omar this is an empty call. “Asking the political parties to prepare for elections is a matter of only killing time.” He stressed that political parties cannot enter elections of which the outcomes are already known. Omar explained that the “National Elections Commission belongs to the ruling National Congress Party (NCP), which controls the money and the civil service. All the laws are tailored to suit the NCP, so no sane political party in Sudan would enter the elections.” Regarding Al Bashir’s call to all political parties to join the preparation of the Permanent Constitution, Omar said that all the opposition forces reject the call, stressing that “a constitution is made by the will of the people.” Instead, Omar said, the NCF demands an interim constitution that will resolve the issues of power and governance in Sudan, because “no constitution is prepared in a climate of oppression and war,” he said. “It is clear that the President wants to prepare the constitution by himself.” Omar also reacted to the President’s proposal to establish a national peace council: ”We have tried to reach peace through the Doha Agreement (signed in 2011) which is now dead. Manipulated by al Bashir’s regime, this peace deal has brought the people of Darfur only more devastation and murder.” According to the NCF Spokesman, “this regime of military generals does not want peace; it never wanted peace because it thrives on war, so it must leave”. File photo Related: Rebel movements reject Sudanese President’s speech (28 October 2013)NCP dissidents announce formation of new political party in Sudan (28 October 2013)Meeting Sadig El Mahdi with Sudan Revolutionary Front postponed (25 October 2013)