February 2, 2011 (KHARTOUM) – The ruling National Congress Party (NCP) expressed its desire to include all political parties and NGO’s in the process of amending the constitution in preparation for the South’s secession.

Ninety-nine percent of Southerners have voted in favor of independence according to preliminary results announced by the referendum commission. The NCP has said it recognizes the outcome.

Southern officials holding posts in the federal government, civil service and the military are expected to be dismissed in the lead up to the official breakup at the end of the interim period next July.

But more changes will be introduced in the North as a result of the country’s split.

Late last year the Sudanese president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir declared that the North will reinforce the Islamic Shari’a law in the constitution after the South goes away and amend the law of the land to state that Arabic is the official language.

Bashir also stressed that the North will no longer recognize the existence of any racial or ethnic diversity in the diversity at that point. The statements drew strong rebuke from opposition groups in the country.

Fathi Sheila, the NCP’s Secretary of Information, said in a statement carried by state media that the proposed dialogue aims at improving the quality of drafting the new constitution in terms of content and form after deleting all articles relating to the south incorporated in accordance with the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA).

He added that the negative aspects of the federal system in place will be avoided through making use of the country’s experience in this regard and reaching a consensus with other political powers.

The NCP discussed the work on the new constitution during its leadership meeting headed by president Bashir.

(ST)