26 parties in Sudan reject Bashir’s bid for third term

By Mohammed Amin

KHARTOUM, Sudan

An umbrella group of 26 political parties in Sudan has called on President Omar al-Bashir not to re-nominate himself for a third term in elections to be held in 2020.

The move comes amid nationwide protests that have rocked the country for the past six weeks over the government’s apparent inability to rein in rampant inflation and address acute shortages of essential commodities.

The Alliance of 2020 Forces, established in September 2018, participated in the government of national unity and a national dialogue initiated by Bashir but said they will challenge him in 2020.

The main parties in the alliance include the Justice and Peace Forum, the Eastern Justice and Development Party, the Democratic Change Party and the Sudan Liberation Party.

Addressing a press conference Wednesday in Khartoum, Altybe Mustafa, head of the Justice and Peace Forum, said Bashir’s cancellation of his re-nomination plans would ease political tensions in the country.

“We believe that the intention of the ruling party and its allies to re-nominate Bashir in the coming elections would escalate political tensions in the country, so we urged the ruling party to cease its efforts aimed at amending the constitution to pave the way for Bashir’s candidacy in 2020,” said Mustafa.

Last August, Sudan’s ruling party nominated Bashir for a third term, a move widely viewed as controversial as he will end his two-term limit in 2020.

Three political parties that participated in the government of national unity have withdrawn from the cabinet and parliament in protest against the use of violence against demonstrators.