November 14, 2009 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese presidential assistant Nafie Ali Nafie today addressed the opening session of the South-South dialogue that is comprised mainly Southern political forces and figures opposed to the ruling party of Southern Sudan, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM).
The convention is a continuation of the Kenana forum held last April in which the participants blamed the SPLM for “the continuously deteriorating administrative, security and political situation in Southern Sudan”.
The meeting includes: SANU, UDSF, United Democratic Party, SPLM-DC, Sudan National Labor Party, USAP-2, South Sudan Democratic Forum, South-Sudan Democratic Front.
Nafie in prepared remarks at the conference stressed the ruling National Congress Party’s (NCP) commitment to the 2011 referendum where Southerners will determine whether or not they want their own separate state.
He reiterated his party’s “strict” adherence to the outcome of the self-determination process.
The powerful Sudanese official urged the SPLM “to respond to the calls of Southerners in different parties for dialogue with them.”
“There is no alternative to Sudanese dialogue to resolve the country’s problems to guarantee renaissance and protect the nation from foreign interference” Nafie added.
Major General Gissimalla Abdullah Rassas, Former President of the High Executive Council for Southern Sudan, said that it is imperative for the conference to produce resolutions “that benefit all Sudanese citizens”.
Rassas was quoted by Sudan official news agency (SUNA) as saying that Sudan’s problems cannot be resolved by two parties only but rather all political forces. He revealed that the focuses of the convention are the issues of “justice and equality, security, referendum, upcoming national elections”.
He criticized what he described as “separatist voices” and called for resorting to the “voice of wisdom and work for the country”.
The controversial Southern figure who was also the former foreign minister, Lam Akol, said that the Southerners have not seen the fruits of the CPA noting that the SPLM “received $8 billion” saying that this “proves the corruption of the SPLM rule”.
Akol accused the SPLM of cracking down on opposition parties in the South including his SPLM-DC party adding that the referendum process “requires good government”.
Sudanese presidential Bona Malwal went further saying that Southerners “should free themselves politically, economically and security-wise from the SPLM rule”.
He added that the Juba conference hosted by the SPLM last summer “had a hidden agenda”. It included twenty Sudanese parties mainly the Northern opposition parties and issued an ultimatum to the NCP saying they would boycott the elections if the Sudanese parliament does not pass, before November 30, a number of laws aiming at creating an appropriate environment for the multi-party elections.
The conference drew condemnation from the ruling party which accused the SPLM of seeking to topple the government with the aid of other parties.
Malwal said that the NCP “has satisfied all its obligations under CPA and deserves all thanks from us”.
In a related development the SPLM secretary general said that his party detected violations in the voter registration process in 13 states of Northern Sudan and 4 states in the South.
Amum added that there are elections officers and officials at the National Elections Commission (NEC) who actually belong to the NCP.
Last week Sudanese opposition political party monitors told Reuters they had evidence of intimidation, buying of votes and other irregularities by the NCP.
However, NCP officials dismissed the allegations put forward by their opponents.
Sudan is facing growing political tensions due to growing rifts between the two major partners in the Government of National Unity (GoNU) primarily over the census, referendum and security law.
Some observers have pointed out that elections and referendum will have to be rescheduled, something both parties reject.
(ST)









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