August 7, 2011 (KHARTOUM) – Two senior officials from the National Congress Party (NCP) made contradictory remarks on the upcoming formation of the new government which would be the first after the South’s secession.

The "Second Republic" as NCP officials describe it will embrace a new constitution and implement major changes in the structure of the state as well as the ruling party.

Sudanese president Omer Hassan al-Bashir has made it clear that the new constitution will state that Islam is the official religion of the state and Arabic is its official language. He dismissed any talk about diversity in post-secession Sudan.

Yesterday the NCP political bureau officer Qutbi al-Mahdi revealed that decrees will soon be issued relating to political, economic and social situation but provided no details.

He added that the upcoming decisions will give clear indications on the new state structure, form of government and how to share power as well as on the participation of other political parties in the new cabinet.

The NCP official said he expects a wide participation by political parties in the executive and legislative branches of government along with the ruling party.

But the NCP media officer Ibrahim Ghandour denied that any decisions have been made on a broad-based government adding that this has not even been discussed.

Ghandour said that he hopes the ongoing dialogue with the National Umma Party (NUP) headed by al-Sadiq al-Mahdi and Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) led by Mohamed Osman al-Mirghani would result in them participating in the government.

(ST)