| Submit your comments on this article |
| International |
| Sudan opposition head rejects power sharing |
| 2002-07-06 |
| The head of Sudan's largest northern opposition party declared Saturday that he would not enter any separate power sharing arrangement with the government. "We will participate only in a national government or a freely and fairly elected one," Umma party chairman Sadeq al-Mahdi told reporters, where he announced the creation of an eight-member committee to negotiate with the government. Mahdi's statement comes as an implicit rejection of recent negotiations by his cousin, Mubarak al-Fadil al-Mahdi, reportedly aimed at the Umma Party's entry into the government. "Negotiation with the regime will be conducted on two principles, (that there be) either the formation of a national government in which all political parties will take part or democratic, free and fair elections open to all parties," Mahdi said. The Umma Party was among the northern opposition groups which allied with the SPLA in the mid-1990s to form the National Democratic Alliance, but it subsequently quit the coalition. Sounds like they may have written off the SPLA in light of their recent defeats. |
| Posted by:Fred Pruitt |