Sudanese opposition parties quit parliament, call for protests

KHARTOUM, July 10 (KUNA) — Sudanese opposition parties have announced withdrawal from parliament Friday and called supporters to go to streets in protest against the current government which is “no longer legitimate.” The term in office of the coalition government, made up of the National Congress Party (NCP) and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) has expired on Thursday, July 9, 2009, pursuant to Article 216 of the Interim Constitution, spokesman of the opposition alliance Farouq Abu-Issa told reporters.
“The opposition parties are lobbying for setting up a caretaker government pending the holding of legislative elections and the formation of a broad-based national unity government to replace the illegitimate government,” Abu-Issa said.
The decision to quit the parliament followed a meeting held by the opposition parties on Thursday.
“These parties decided also to organize a peaceful mass rally and invited the people to participate heavily in it,” the spokesman pointed out.
“They plan to tender notes on Sudan’s political dispute to the Inter-Governmental Authority for Development (IGAD) – the sponsor of the peace agreement between north and south Sudan, the African Union and the Arab League, ” he affirmed.
The planned caretaker government will take charge of running the state affairs in the remaining two years of the six-year interim period specified peace agreement, he revealed.
The peace agreement, signed by the government of Khartoum and the SPLM (formerly known as Sudan People’s Liberation Army or SPLA) on January 9, 2005, provides for holding a referendum in South Sudan on whether to remain as part of a federal country or secede by 2011.
It put an end to 22 years of bloody conflict between north and south Sudan which is deemed the longest civil war in Africa.
The two coalition partners, the NCP and the SPLM have recently agreed on delaying the legislative elections until April, 2010. (end) hhe.gb KUNA 102248 Jul 09NNNN