Islamist opposition leader says Sudanese people have become "indifferent"
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June 11, 2013 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese Islamic figure and leader of
the opposition Popular Congress Party (PCP), Hassan Al-Turabi repeated
his harsh criticism of the government but also blamed the ordinary
citizens for their "indifference".
JPEG - 35 kb
Leading Sudanese opposition figure Hassan al-Turabi gestures during an
interview in Khartoum October 3, 2012 (REUTERS)
Al-Turabi, who was speaking in a lecture in the Qatari capital of Doha
on Sunday, said that the Sudanese government dominated by the National
Congress Party (NCP) does not respect local and international
conventions adding that corruption has become rampant within its
ranks.
The PCP top figure further said that Khartoum abuses power through
tyranny pointing out that it divides regions and states and appoints
and dismisses state governors however and whenever it wants.
He criticized the government’s handling of several major issues in
Sudan including the conflict in Sudan’s western region of Darfur and
asserted that regime does not care about the situation in the war
ravaged region as long as it does not threaten its grip on power in
Khartoum.
The Islamist scholar reiterated his denial of any connection between
his party and the Darfur rebel Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) as
alleged by Khartoum.
Turabi nonetheless strongly warned against a military coup in Sudan
saying that its consequences would be "disastrous".
He acknowledged that opposition is fractured and said that political
parties are incapable of leading an uprising against the government
mentioning that the regime knows how to defend itself.
However he emphasized that change is coming to Sudan either through
peaceful means or revolutionary change similar to Sudan’s October 1964
uprising and the Arab spring revolutions in Egypt and Tunisia.
He pointed out that the opposition had drafted a transitional
constitution to govern the country in the transitional period
following the downfall of the regime, saying that it would lead to
constitutional elections to determine the choice of the people.
The Islamic leader said that the opposition will not accept a national
government within the framework of the current regime.
He went on to criticize the Sudanese people, saying that they became
indifferent toward the surrounding circumstances and non-responsive to
the need for political transformation and democracy.
The Islamic leader also blasted the media situation in Sudan, saying
that the regime is largely using it for propaganda.
Since his ouster in 1999, Al-Turabi has been one of the government’s
most vociferous critics and has been incarcerated a number of times.
Turabi was president Omer Hassan al-Bashir’s close political and
religious ally since the 1989 coup that was planned by the National
Islamic Front (NIF) he led at the time.
However, both men fell out together in a bitter power struggle that
started in 1999. Since then Turabi has been in and out of jail but was
released along with all other political prisoners after a north-south
peace deal in 2005.
The Islamist leader has been an outspoken critic of Bashir and his
government since then.
(ST)
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