Sudanese inter-opposition differences

The announcement made by the democratic federal party led by Muhammad Othman al-Meirghani that he had signed an agreement in the government of Khartoum ruling Congress Party on participating in the new interim Sudanese government raised negative reactions in the Sudanese opposition.

The federal party issued a statement in which it denied the signing. It said that the committee which negotiated with the ruling National Congress party submitted its recommendations to the party's leadership which has not met and did not take a decision yet on taking part in the interim government.

The statement which was undersigned by the name of the party's deputy chairman Ahmad al-Meirghani said that the "signing with the National Congress was not made at my knowledge nor consultation and I knew about it from the official media."

The statement added that contacts were made between the chairman of the party Muhammad Othman al-Meirghani and his two deputies Ali Mahmoud Hasanin and Ahmad al-Meirghani, and that stress was laid on the position of the party in not taking part in the executive authority with its readiness to take part in the legislative authority as an opposition group.

Chairman of the party's executive bureau Ahmad Ali Abu baker said on Sunday in statements following the signing of the agreement that the party decided to take part in for enhancing stability in the country "on the ground of the agreements finalized between the two sides in Jeddah and in Cairo."

According to the agreement, which was denied by the leadership of the party, the federal party will be offered some 40 seats in the states legislative councils in addition to 26 executive posts of ministers and governors.

For his part, the opposition Democratic National Coalition considered that the sudden announcement on signing the agreement is damaging for the unity of the coalition and negatively affects the efforts of embarking on a united position towards taking part in the executive authority in Khartoum.

A statement issued by the coalition said that its leadership "is able to deal with this situation in a way to enhance the unity of the coalition," adding that the leadership's commission continued its meeting on Sunday to crystallize its position towards participation in the interim authority.