The leadership council of the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) Sunday nominated Ibrahim Ahmed Omer for the position of the National Assembly’s speaker.
The newly elected Sudanese legislators will meet on Monday to elect the speaker of the lower house, the National Assembly, a day before the swearing-in ceremony of the re-elected president Omer al-Bashir.
Following a meeting of the NCP leadership council, the party’s spokesperson Yasir Youssef told reporters that the ruling party selected Ibrahim Omer for the position of National Assembly’s speaker.
Youssef further said that another leading member, Omer Suleiman, was nominated for the speaker of the upper house, the Council of Sates.
He was keen to add that the nomination of the two speakers was "unanimously approved", reflecting the unity and solidarity of the party leadership.
Rumours circulated in Khartoum that the former first vice-president Ali Osman Taha was seeking to take the position of the speaker. However, it seems that the party’s leaders wanted to turn the page on the old rivalries that his return may revive.
The new speaker has been widely respected for his altruism and neutrality. He also called for reforms within the party and to transfer power for the young generation of leaders during a large debate across the party in 2013.
Omer was the NCP secretary general after the removal of Hassan al-Turabi from the party and the parliament in December 1999. Also he served as a presidential adviser and a minister.
The new speaker is "a man of wisdom and has a long and extensive experience in the leadership of public work, Furthermore, he has gotten unanimous support of the NCP members," said Youssef.
In a meeting with the new legislators members of the NCP parliamentary bloc on Sunday, president al-Bashir who is also the party’s chairman expressed his satisfaction of the party’s institutions, saying "the leadership of the party works like a watch"
President Bashir also praised his presidential assistant and NCP deputy-chairman for the political and organisational affaires Ibrahim Ghandour.
"We thank him (Ghandour) for establishing an academy for training, and an information center. He also funded the party’s structure and the election campaign from the membership and wealthy donors," Bashir said.
The ruling National Congress Party (NCP) won 323 of the 426 seats in the National Assembly during April’s general elections which was boycotted by the opposition groups.
