Noticias

Sudan’s parliament speaker, al-Fatih Izz al-Din, has revealed that the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) will introduce a major amendment to elections law allowing adoption of proportional representation but cautioned that the 2015 general elections will not be delayed.

The move would mean that all political forces will be represented in the parliament irrespective of the size of its constituency.

The nearly two-week arrest of the National Umma Party leader, Sadiq al-Mahdi, stirred conflicting reactions among Sudanese opposition parties that have accepted to be part of the national dialogue process.

The Reform Now Party (RNP), of Ghazi Salah Eddin al-Attabani criticized al-Mahdi’s arrest and recent measures restricting the freedom of the press, saying it would derail the national dialogue. But, the Popular Congress Party (PCP) of Hassan al-Turabi reiterated that it would not abandon the political process.

The Secretary General of the rebel Sudanese People’s Liberation Movement/North (SPLM-N), Yasser Arman, has denounced the detention of the National Umma Party (NUP) leader, al-Sadiq al-Mahdi, calling upon the latter to work with the rebel alliance in order to overthrow the regime.

Arman said in press statements on Friday that president Omer Hassan al-Bashir is not serious about introducing true democratic change, saying the latter’s call for comprehensive national dialogue is only aimed at making cosmetic changes and reproducing his regime.

The defence team of the National Umma Party (NUP) leader al-Sadiq al-Mahdi, announced that investigation with the him has been concluded since Saturday and called for his immediate release.

Al-Mahdi was arrested over the weekend by Sudanese security and charged on several counts including undermining the constitutional order and opposing the regime through force.

Those charges are punishable by death, life imprisonment and sentences ranging from a few months to several years and confiscation of money.

The former prime Mminister of Sudan and the head of the National Umma Party (NUP), al-Sadiq al-Mahdi, is still being investigated while in detention, a government prosecutor said on Tuesday.

Head of the state security prosecution Yasser Ahmed Mohamed said in a statement released today that al-Mahdi is in legal custody at the Kober federal prison and that they are following procedures to renew his detention periodically in accordance with the law.

The ruling National Congress Party (NCP) declared that the leader of the opposition National Umma Party (NUP), al-Sadiq al-Mahdi, was not arrested for political or security reasons but summoned to complete investigations over a criminal complaint filed by the National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) this week.

Al-Mahdi was questioned before state security prosecutors on Thursday regarding remarks he made accusing Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of committing serious abuses in conflict zones in Darfur and Kordofan including rape as well as looting and burning villages.

The head of the African Union High Level Implementation Panel (AUHIP), Thabo Mbeki, held intensive meetings with government officials, opposition leaders, and civil society organizations in Khartoum on Saturday in order to push forward the national dialogue.

Al-Ansar sect, the religious arm of Sudan’s National Umma Party (NUP) warned the government today against inflicting any harm on al-Sadiq al-Mahdi, a day after he appeared for questioning on statements he made on Rapid Support Forces (RSF) last week.

The lead of Friday prayers at the Ansar Mosque in Wad-Nubawi on Friday, Adam Ahmed Youssef, stressed in the sermon that the Sudanese government will be held responsible for any harm that to al-Mahdi.

The leader of the opposition National Umma Party (NUP), al-Sadiq al-Mahdi, is scheduled to appear on Thursday before the state security prosecutor for questioning regarding the complaint filed by the National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) after he accused the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of committing serious abuses in Darfur.

The NUP distributed SMS messages and issued a statement confirming that al-Mahdi is determined to appear before the prosecutors amid expectations that a large crowd of his supporters will be present.