Sudanese president declares emergency in the country for three months
Sudan, Politics, 12/13/1999

The Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir has announced on Sunday night the state of emergency in the country for three months because of what he called "duality in the state's establishments."

A Sudanese source told ArabicNews.com that the procedures announced by the Sudanese president came in a conflict over the power between al-Bashir and his political rival, National Council head Hassan Turabi.

Turabi leads the extremist religious wing inside the Sudanese government, a man who has been often described by reports as "the real strongman behind the military rule in Sudan." Turabi seemed determined to minimize the authority of al-Bashir. Last September al-Bashir won a victory when a dispute erupted over the presidency of the national conference, the ruling political body.

In a statement he addressed to the Sudanese people and which was aired by a Sudanese satellite station, al-Bashir said he is exercising his right according to the constitution to imposing a state of emergency as of today (the fifth of Ramadan), as well as to suspend certain articles of the constitution and dissolve the National Council.

The Sudanese president also gave himself the single and total right to appoint or remove governors in various parts of Sudan, through suspending articles 57, 59, 56 and 60, which used to give this right to the National Council and the legislative councils mainly controlled by Turabi and his partisans from the National Party.

Al-Bashir added that he is exercising his right according to article 131 of the constitution which avails him to take measures to protect the "safety and security of the country" in case of the "occurrence of any danger that threatens the country" or part of its "security or economy." He continued that orders to that end will be released within the coming days.

Previous Stories:
  Sudanese parliament starts discussions on amending the constitution   (11/18/1999)
  Al-Bashir opens the constituent conference for the ruling party in Sudan   (10/8/1999)
  Turabi regains his authorities from President al-Bashir   (9/20/1999)

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