PANAPRESS
Panafrican News Agency
Sudan: Opposition leader defines condition for success of new gov't
Khartoum, Sudan (PANA) - The leader of the Sudanese Opposition National Umma Party (NUP), Sadiq Mahdi, has said the success of the new National Accord Government, aimed at achieving a comprehensive peace in the country, is dependent on a number of prerequisites, including restoration of freedom.
Reporting from Gedaref, eastern Sudan, Sudanese local media on Monday quoted Mahdi, who returned from a self-imposed exile early this year, as saying in a speech to a rally of his party supporters on Sunday that the National Accord Government which would be formed on the implementation of the National Dialogue Conference resolutions, “must be committed to guaranteeing freedom, ending armed conflict, cessation of hostilities, ensuring safe access to humanitarian aid and persuading (rebel) armed movements into switching to political parties.”
However, he described the ruling regime as a failure, warning that a popular uprising is likely in case the regime fails to sit down for a serious dialogue with the opposition. He pointed out that any dialogue that does not lead to resolving the country's problems is "useless".
Mahdi indicated that his massive welcome by the inhabitants of Geared State, one of the NUP strongholds, and by the people of Sudan at large was due to their belief that he is still the symbol of the legitimacy of his elected government that was toppled by an Islamist-led military coup d’etat in 1989, "unlike their rigged elections".
He ridiculed the political parties which would take part in the national accord government, predicting that they would be given marginal portfolios, cars, salaries and other privileges "but no real powers".
Mahdi was implying that the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) would "grant" the willing political parties, which took part in the National Dialogue Process, marginal portfolios and seats in the National Assembly and parliaments of the states and would retain its majority in the executive and legislative bodies.
He called for the restoration of the farmers' union that is to be democratically elected instead of the local farmers’ societies introduced by President Omar Bashir's regime.
Mahdi also called for changing the policy of the Agricultural Bank for assisting the farmers instead of giving them loans and by the end of the day take them to jail for failure to repay the loans.
He described the salam system of lending as unfair to the farmers because it does not take into consideration the volume of production.
Geared is one of Sudan's main agricultural regions, producing large quantities of sorghum, sesame and groundnuts.
The central government usually buys the produce either for storage for local consumption or for export.
-0- PANA MO/VAO 8May2017
Reporting from Gedaref, eastern Sudan, Sudanese local media on Monday quoted Mahdi, who returned from a self-imposed exile early this year, as saying in a speech to a rally of his party supporters on Sunday that the National Accord Government which would be formed on the implementation of the National Dialogue Conference resolutions, “must be committed to guaranteeing freedom, ending armed conflict, cessation of hostilities, ensuring safe access to humanitarian aid and persuading (rebel) armed movements into switching to political parties.”
However, he described the ruling regime as a failure, warning that a popular uprising is likely in case the regime fails to sit down for a serious dialogue with the opposition. He pointed out that any dialogue that does not lead to resolving the country's problems is "useless".
Mahdi indicated that his massive welcome by the inhabitants of Geared State, one of the NUP strongholds, and by the people of Sudan at large was due to their belief that he is still the symbol of the legitimacy of his elected government that was toppled by an Islamist-led military coup d’etat in 1989, "unlike their rigged elections".
He ridiculed the political parties which would take part in the national accord government, predicting that they would be given marginal portfolios, cars, salaries and other privileges "but no real powers".
Mahdi was implying that the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) would "grant" the willing political parties, which took part in the National Dialogue Process, marginal portfolios and seats in the National Assembly and parliaments of the states and would retain its majority in the executive and legislative bodies.
He called for the restoration of the farmers' union that is to be democratically elected instead of the local farmers’ societies introduced by President Omar Bashir's regime.
Mahdi also called for changing the policy of the Agricultural Bank for assisting the farmers instead of giving them loans and by the end of the day take them to jail for failure to repay the loans.
He described the salam system of lending as unfair to the farmers because it does not take into consideration the volume of production.
Geared is one of Sudan's main agricultural regions, producing large quantities of sorghum, sesame and groundnuts.
The central government usually buys the produce either for storage for local consumption or for export.
-0- PANA MO/VAO 8May2017
