Sudan to celebrate official signing of political, constitutional declarations

Source: Xinhua| 2019-08-16 19:46:50|Editor: huaxia
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Sudanese people take part in a demonstration in Khartoum, Sudan, on Aug. 1, 2019. (Mohamed Khidir/Xinhua)

Sudan's political and constitutional declarations will be officially signed on Saturday, which institute for a transitional period in the country.

KHARTOUM, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- The Sudanese capital Khartoum is getting ready to celebrate on Saturday the official signing of two documents instituting for a transitional period in Sudan.

Sudan's Transitional Military Council (TMC) and the opposition Freedom and Change Alliance are scheduled to sign on Saturday the political and constitutional declarations.

The political declaration, signed by the two sides with initial letters on July 17, determines the structures of the transitional period including the sovereignty council, the council of ministers and the transitional legislative council.

The constitutional declaration, signed with initial letters on Aug. 4, meanwhile, determines the powers of the transitional period structures and members of the transitional government which will last for 39 months.

"During the celebration, the documents of the transition to the civilian government will be signed on Aug. 17 at 1:00 p.m. local time (1100 GMT) at the Friendship Hall in Khartoum," said the TMC in a statement on Friday.

A number of head of states, representatives of regional and international organizations and diplomatic missions, leaders of parties and civil society organizations in the country will attend the signing ceremony, it added.

Meanwhile, Sati Al-Haj, a leading member in the Freedom and Change Alliance, said in a statement that all arrangements have been finalized to sign the two declarations.

A joint higher committee between the TMC and the alliance has supervised the arrangements for the event, including the invitation of officials from neighboring countries to take part in the ceremony, he added.

The signing of the two documents will be a new beginning for the country that fulfills the aspirations of the Sudanese people and ensures the democratic transformation in achieving sustainable peace and establishing the State of citizenship and rights with the participation of all Sudanese, he noted.

The alliance on Thursday agreed to name Abdalla Hamdok as prime minister in the transitional government, while it is expected to announce their nominees for the membership of the sovereignty council on Friday.

Despite the recent understandings reached among the components of the Freedom and Change Alliance, the Sudanese Revolutionary Front, a component of the alliance, declared boycotting the signing ceremony of the two documents.

"We have not been informed yet if our vision has fully been included in the constitutional declaration, and therefore, the celebration and appointments do not concern us," said Mohamed Zakaria, spokesman of the revolutionary front, in a statement.

However, the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM)/northern sector, led by Malik Aqar, one of the armed movements in the revolutionary front, announced that it would take part in the signing ceremony of the two documents.

In this regard, Deputy Chairman of the SPLM/northern sector Yasir Arman urged the leaders and members of the movement to participate in the signing ceremony, and work within the structures, bodies and committees of the Freedom and Change Alliance, including the celebrations committees.

"The SPLM/northern sector is keen on incarnating the unity of the forces of the Freedom and Change Alliance, and make the task of the transitional period successful," said Arman in a statement.

According to a concerning establishment of the transitional period structures, the appointment of the members of the Sovereignty Council is set for Aug. 18, and the appointed members will take the constitutional oath on Aug. 19, which indicates automatic dissolution of the TMC.

The prime minister will be appointed on Aug. 20 and take the constitutional oath the next day.

Then the members of the Council of Ministers will be announced on Aug. 28, and approved by the Sovereignty Council on Aug. 30 before taking the constitutional oath on Aug. 31. The new government will hold its first meeting immediately after the oath taking.

The first joint meeting for the Sovereignty Council and the Council of Ministers is set to be held on September 1.

The Sovereignty Council will include 11 members, including five civilians, five military representatives and one civilian to be selected through mutual consultation.

The Council of Ministers is to be composed of 20 ministers appointed by the Freedom and Change Alliance, except for the ministers of defence and interior who are to be selected by the military members in the Sovereignty Council.

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