Bashir: interim government shortly in Sudan

The Sudanese president Omar Hassan al-Bshir stressed the nearby formation of an interim government which he said will be of the largest number of political parties in the history of Sudan, but excluding the Umma, the People's Congress Party and the Communist Party.

Bashir attributed, following his return back from a visit to Egypt during which he met his Egyptian peer Hosni Mubarak, the delay to forming this government to demands set by other political forces that seek greater representation in the new government, noting by that to the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM). The Sudanese president considered that meeting these demands "is not possible because quotas for representations were set in the comprehensive peace agreement" which had put an end to the war between the government and the rebels in the south.

The interim government was due to be formed in August but this was delayed because of the death of the leader of the SPLM, John Garang. The SPLM threatened to resort to Inter-Government's Commission for Development ( IGAD) in order settle differences between it and the ruling party if an agreement is not finalized over the distribution of the government's ministerial seats which was due to be declared on September 7th.

But the European Union announced on Saturday that the Sudanese interim Government will be announced next week. The Union's development commissioner Louis Michael said after his meeting with the Sudanese foreign minister Mustafa Othman Ismael on the sideline of the UN world summit that the government will be composed of 30 ministers and same number of ministers of state.

Silva Kiir, the leader of the people's movement (SPLM) and the Sudan's First Vice President said on Friday that differences over the ministry of energy still delay the formation of the government.