Date: Mon Dec 8 09:34:26 2014
INTERVIEW: Sudan's SCP accuses Turabi's party of seeking to protect regime
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December 8, 2014 (KHARTOUM) - The Sudanese Communist Party (SCP) has accused
the Popular Congress Party (PCP) led by Islamist figure Hassan al-Turabi of
working to protect the regime in the wake of PCP's decision to engage in the
national dialogue process launched by president Omer Hassan al-Bashir in
January.
SCP's political secretary, Mohammed Mokhtar al-Khateeb, said in an interview
with Sudan Tribune on Sunday that the PCP was part of the regime until 1999
when Turabi fell out with Bashir in a power struggle and disagreements over
other issues.
"Therefore when the opportunity presented itself they moved to protect the
regime and its policies, and this is contrary to the interests of Sudan,"
al-Khateeb said.
He said the opposition alliance known as the National Consensus Forces (NCF)
accommodated the PCP in its ranks despite expectations that they will one
day return back to the bosom of the regime.
"We took them in because whoever wants to ride the train with you at one
stage you don't stop him," the SCP official said.
Al-Khateeb stressed that the PCP chose to depart from the opposition
coalition adding that they will never return despite their talk about only a
temporary freeze in their membership.
He argued that Turabi's party is working with others in Sudan and in the
region to unify the forces of political Islam.
"They are allied with wider circles working to make Sudan a hub for Islamist
movements and are turning to extend their presence in the region in
general," he said.
The top SCP official emphasised that the crisis experienced by the Sudan
will not be solved unless the regime is toppled, saying the country has been
living an internal war for over 25 years.
He described the government's call for national dialogue as a product of the
crisis surrounding the regime, but noted that the government lacks
seriousness in the dialogue and has a desire to run it according to its own
rules.
"They want a dialogue that would empower it even more, and thus resolve the
crisis in accordance with its policies, and this will not work. We want to
work and walk in another direction that leads to solving the crisis in
Sudan," he said.
Al-Khateeb, who was present at the signing of the "Sudan Call" in Addis
Ababa this week between opposition forces and Sudan Revolutionary Forces
(SRF) and NGO's, said the accord ensures that opposition forces unite after
toppling the regime, as well as guarantees a political solution in areas
that took up arms against the state.
"We agreed to hold a national constitutional conference at the end of the
transitional period with the participation of everyone involved in it, and
reaching a consensus how govern Sudan and how to manage diversity and the
distribution of wealth and power fairly," he said.
He rejected the government's allegations of treason to the signatories of
the agreement for joining hands with those fighting the government and
pointed out that the rebels were forced to bear arms to further their
political causes, but that the regime dealt with them militarily.
"Therefore we as civilian politicians went to agree with those who took up
arms on a political solution, and there will be no settlement except through
genuine dialogue leading to a complete comprehensive solution to the
political crisis experienced by Sudan," al-Khateeb said.
"Since independence, we live in a vicious cycle of instability. This cycle
will not be broken unless all the people of Sudan agree on a specific
program to implement it in a reasonable transition period that concludes
with a constitutional conference," he added.
He acknowledged however, that there are disagreement in the visions of the
opposition forces on the mechanisms of implementation of the next phase but
downplayed it, saying it is a natural dispute among forces of different
composition.
Al-Khateeb underscored that everyone is in agreement on the key objectives
of removing the regime and adoption of a transitional period and a
constitutional national conference for all the people of Sudan to
participate and draft the principles of the future constitution and then
have free elections, paving the way for a peaceful transfer of power.
JPEG - 10.4 kb
The political secretary of the Sudanese Communist Party, Mohammed Mokhtar
al-Khateeb (ST)
(image/jpeg attachment: image001.jpg)