SPA opposes new Sudan parliamentary structure

November 7, 2020

The Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA) revealed on Friday the new parliamentary structure under negotiation within the framework of the transitional phase led by the Sovereignty Council and the Ministerial Council, in which power is shared between the army and the Forces of Freedom and Change alliance (FFC).

In a statement posted on Facebook, the SPA indicated that it had received an invitation from the Central Council of the FFC to discuss the distribution of the parliamentary quota, explaining: “The new percentages (55 per cent for the FFC, 25 per cent for the Revolutionary Front and 20 per cent for the military component of the Council Sovereignty) contravene the constitutional document.”

The statement emphasized that these new ratios were set “after consultation between the FFC and the military components of the (transitional) Sovereignty Council,” stressing the SPA’s refusal of domination of the FFC’s Central Council over the discussions, which must be shared and collective.

The SPA believes that: “The new ratios will lead to the formation of an ineffective and quarrelsome parliament.”

The constitutional document signed on 17 August 2019, stipulated the formation of a parliament of 300 members. Thus, the FFC was granted two-thirds of the seats, and the rest were distributed to other forces that participated in the popular movement and did not sign the Declaration of Freedom.

On Thursday, the “resistance” committees in Sudan announced their refusal of the FFC’s invitation to discuss the formation of the Legislative Council.

The committees confirmed in a statement: “This call came after the internal arrangements for quotas and distribution of seats were already made, as what happened when forming the Political Councils, selecting the ministers and appointing the governors.”

Source: Middle East Monitor.

Link: https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20201107-spa-opposes-new-sudan-parliamentary-structure/.