Date: Fri, 24 Oct 2014 22:13:20 +0200
Sudan's dialogue will witness positive developments: Bashir
24 October 2014
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October 24, 2014 (KHARTOUM) -Addressing the 4th convention of the ruling
National Congress Party (NCP) on Thursday, president Omer al-Bashir said the
national dialogue initiative will witness important developments in the
coming period, while the presence of the opposition leader Hassan al-Turabi
created a surprise and triggered calls for unity of Sudanese Islamists.
Opposition parties casted doubts on the seriousness of an initiative he
launched last January for a national conference including opposition and
rebel groups to end war and agree on democratic reforms.
Since, the slow progress in the dialogue process, the government wilfulness
to implement confidence building measures and its rejection to postpone the
elections of next year, all these reasons pushed to believe that the regime
is manoeuvring to divide the opposition and ensure its continuity in power.
However, Bashir in his remarks for the first time confirmed that his party
accepted the agreement on the national dialogue and constitutional process
that the national dialogue committee reached in Addis Ababa with the African
Union High-Level Implementation Panel (AUHIP) and rebel groups.
The meeting of the national dialogue general assembly, which will be held on
the second of November, will endorse the roadmap (agreed between the forces
of dialogue), and Addis Ababa document which paves the way for dialogue with
the armed groups, Bashir said.
He added that the general assembly will also consider ways to address
humanitarian issues in the country and also will consider determining the
date of the inclusive dialogue conference which includes all these parties.
He called on the rebel groups to participate in the national dialogue and
renewed his commitment to reach the goals of the dialogue process "as long
as the parties demonstrate the objectivity" and prioritize the national
interests, he stressed.
Earlier this month, the AUHIP called the rebel groups in Blue Nile South
Kordofan and Darfur to hold separate talks on a cessation of hostilities
agreement with the government delegations. But the latter demanded to delay
the talks till the end of the NCP convention. While rebel groups said they
expect a new military campaign before talks.
The convention will discuss the party's performance during the past five
years and define its strategy for the forthcoming period. Also, the four-day
meeting is expected to nominate Bashir as its candidate for presidential
election and to re-enthrone him as a chairman of the party.
The ruling party invited the main opposition parties to participate in the
4th convention. Sudan Tribune reporters noted that the seat of the
opposition National Umma Party (NUP) of Sadiq al-Mahdi remained empty during
the opening session.
The NUP, Popular Congress Party (PCP) of Hassan al-Turabi and Reform Now
Movement (RNM) of Ghazi Salah al-Din al-Attabani joined the national
dialogue. But, Al-Mahdi's detention the opposition party suspended its
participation in the process.
TURABI CALLS FOR UNITY
The PCP leader Hassan al-Turabi called in his speech "for a dialogue that
will pave the way for a national unity", adding that this step will be the
nucleus for a regional unity.
"The tribulations and machinations that surround the homeland have
encouraged dialogue and consultation in order to unite," he stressed.
His presence in the convention for the first time since the rift of 1999
between the party leadership, created a surprise and was positively
perceived by the NCP members who shouted slogans in support of the
unification of Sudanese Islamists.
Turabi called for a dialogue that ensures freedoms in the country and
strengthening the cohesion of Sudan's regions.
The PCP political secretary, Kamal Omer, on Thursday defended the support of
his party for the national dialogue, stressing that does not means they
accommodate the ruling party.
In a speech delivered at a meeting aiming to unite the Sudanese opposition
held outside Khartoum, Omer pledged to defend the demand of the opposition
parties for a genuine national dialogue, stressing their commitment to the
opposition's aspiration for a democratic rule in Sudan.
In a meeting held on Thursday, the opposition parties signed Tayba charter
which provides the need to end armed conflicts and to establish a democratic
regime in the country. The signatories also agreed to unify the positions of
the political and rebel groups to achieve these goals.
JPEG - 18.6 kb
President Omer al-Bashir speaks at the 4th convention of the ruling National
Congress Party in Khartoum on 23 October 2014 (Photo Ashorooq TV)
(image/jpeg attachment: image001.jpg)