Sudan's PCP denies existence of secret bilateral deal with ruling party
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March 24, 2014 (KHARTOUM) - The Sudanese opposition Popular Congress
Party (PCP) has held the government and the University of Khartoum
(UofK) administration responsible for the death of Ali Abakaer Moussa
Idris earlier this month.
JPEG - 99.1 kb
>From left to right; Leader of the Popular Congress Party (PCP) Hassan
al-Turabi, Reform Now Party (RNP) head Ghazi Salah al-Deen
al-Attabani; National Umma Party (NUP) al-Sadiq al-Mahdi and 2nd Vice
President Hassabo Abdel-Rahman (SUNA)
Idris, a third-year economics student, died in hospital of gunshot
wounds sustained during a demonstration which took place at the UofK
on March 11th.
The PCP mentioned that the criminal report stated that Idris was shot
by a Kalashnikov rifle from from a distance of 18 yards, stressing
that the PCP demands retribution and rejects impunity.
It described the government's crackdown on the opposition mass meeting
this month as a "slap" on the face of the national dialogue, saying it
is a harmful move against the political process.
The PCP political secretary, Kamal Omer Abdel-Salam, said at a press
conference on Monday that the crisis in Darfur is a natural result of
the system of governance, denouncing what he called "systematic
killing" in South Darfur and east Jabal Marra.
He warned against repeating the scenario of South Sudan secession in
Darfur and described the killing of thousands of people in Darfur as
"real tragedy, saying the crisis would only be resolved through a wise
and comprehensive dialogue.
Abdel-Salam disclosed that his party would immediately resort to other
options if the dialogue with the National Congress Party (NCP) failed,
expressing keenness to make the dialogue a success.
The PCP official pointed to the nomination of national independent
figures to head the dialogue mechanisms besides making contacts with
political forces and rebel groups to join the process especially as
the coming period requires concerted efforts.
He scoffed at the rumors that PCP leader Hassan al-Turabi would
mediate between the Sudanese government and Saudi Arabia to resolve
the recent tensions in relations, asserting that Riyadh doesn't even
permit Turabi to perform Hajj [pilgrimage] let alone allow him to lead
mediation.
He said that PCP's acceptance of unconditional dialogue with the NCP
was not a result of a secret deal between the two parties but based on
objective issues, describing it as a right decision particularly as
the countryigaces a deep crisis that does not allow for setting
preconditions.
Abdel-Salam underscored that their goal is not to join the government
and noted that they opposed the regime for 15 years, reiterating that
the purpose behind their participation in the national dialogue is to
arrive at solutions for Sudan's problems.
The PCP official further said that reunification of the Islamic
Movement (IM) is a strategic issue but they currently aim to achieve
unity of the nation, stressing the PCP and the NCP don't seek to form
an ideological alliance against the other political forces but to
uphold values of freedom and democracy.
The Sudanese president Omer Hassan al-Bashir met with Turabi this
month for the first time since the political fallout between the two
men in 1999 which led to the split of the ruling party.
Bashir and the godfather of his regime during the first ten years
agreed to accelerate the preparation for the holding of the national
dialogue with the participation of all the political and social
components of the country.
Abdel-Salam noted that the PCP made contacts with the opposition
National Umma Party (NUP), Sudan's Communist Party (SCP), Nasserite
Party, and the Movement of New Democratic Forces (HAQ) to brief them
on their dialogue with the NCP, emphasizing they will also meet with
the Sudanese Congress Party and the rest of the opposition alliance
parties for the same purpose.
Meanwhile, the PCP disclosed that rebel groups in Darfur expressed
preliminary approval for engaging in the national dialogue inside
Sudan's territory if the government offered certain guarantees.
The PCP secretary of foreign affairs, Bashir Adam Rahma, told the
government-sponsored Sudan Media Center (SMC) website on Monday that
his party led direct contacts with Darfur rebel groups and political
parties which rejected the NCP call for national dialogue to discuss
possibility of joining the dialogue process.
He added that armed rebel want the government to pledge to allow
public freedoms, issue general amnesty for rebel groups and declare
cease fire.
Rahma said the PCP conveyed the message of the rebel groups to the
government, asserting they seek not to delay the dialogue.
He also said that during their meeting with the SCP that the latter
expressed willingness to change its position towards the national
dialogue, saying it is illogical that any party sets preconditions for
the dialogue.
Rahma further asserted that the goal of the national dialogue is to
unite the Sudanese people not the PCP and the NCP, saying unity of the
two parties at the present time is useless.
In a televised address to the nation late last January, the Sudanese
leader announced a four-point plan for reform "to stop the war and
bring peace, free political society, fight against poverty and
revitalize national identity".
He further called for political forces and even rebel groups to lay
down arms to engage in dialogue to agree on the implementation items
to achieve these objectives.
Bashir afterwards met with several opposition leaders, but it is not
yet clear how the dialogue call will be implemented amid deep
skepticism over the willingness of the ruling National Congress Party
(NCP) to implement deep reforms.
So far NCP officials, including Bashir, have brushed aside opposition
calls for the 2015 elections to be delayed and the formation of a
transitional government that would work on drafting a new constitution
to prepare the country for the polls.
The opposition National Umma Party (NUP) and the opposition Popular
Congress Party (PCP) are the only major opposition parties who have so
far accepted Bashir's call for national dialogue.
But both parties warned that they would pull out of dialogue with the
NCP if no progress is made.
(ST)
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