Bashir - Garang talks over emergency

The spokesman for the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM), Yasser Araman, said that consultations will be held between President Omar al-Bashir and the leader of the movement John Garang after he will assume the post of the vice president next week, over lifting the emergency law in Darfur and East Sudan.

He added that the emergency law will be lifted from July 9th, the date of forming the national unity government, but the areas in the west and the east will remain under emergency law because of the continued conflicts there.

According to the new constitution, which will be ratified simultaneously with the formation of the government which will authorize the President and his first deputy to declare the state of emergency, and this needs the consent of the parliament.

The people's movement will take part in the interim government and Garang will arrive in Khartoum on July 8th to assume the post of the first vice president.

In January this year, the Sudanese government signed a peace agreement with the SPLM that ended a civil war in the southern part of the country that lasted for more than 20 years. The agreement states to form a coalition government, sharing of wealth and the authority, and carrying out democratic elections within three years. A referendum will be held in southern Sudan on cessation after 6 years.