Advertisement

Sudan opposition calls for censure against Bashir's third term bid

Wednesday August 15 2018
al mahdi

Sudan's opposition leader Sadiq al-Mahdi. He has called on the international community to slam President Omar Al-Bashir's endorsement to seek a third term. FILE PHOTO | AFP

By AFP

Sudanese main opposition leader has called on the international community to condemn President Omar Al-Bashir's endorsement to seek a third term.

Sadiq al-Mahdi, chairman of the National Umma Party (NUP), said Sudan had suffered under Bashir’s presidency.

“His re-nomination came without an objective evaluation of his performance in the past 30 years, or with regard to the constitutional impediment,” al- Mahdi was quoted as saying by a local radio Dabanga.

Last week, ruling National Congress Party (NCP) unanimously amended its constitution to allow President Bashir to stand as its flagbearer in the 2020 elections.

The amendment paves the way for NCP to change the Sudanese Constitution that allows a president to serve a maximum of two five-year terms.

Al-Mahdi said Bashir’s indictment by the ICC had impoverished Khartoum’s relationship with countries especially the United States.

Advertisement

Mahdi, who is currently in exile, was prime minister from 1966 to 1967 and again from 1986 to 1989 before Bashir seized power though a military coup the same year.

Bashir, 74, was indicted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur in 2009.

Despite the ICC arrest warrant, he won in the 2010 and 2015 elections that were marred by controversy and opposition boycotts.

Advertisement