LAST-MINUTE internal disputes in Sudan’s pro-democracy movement have delayed the announcement of a body to oversee the country’s political transition, a spokesman for Sudan’s current military rulers said on Monday.
General Shamseldin Kabashi said the civilian coalition had withdrawn the five appointees to the sovereign council named on Sunday and would hold more consultations among its factions.
The development comes after internal disputes within the Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA), one of the opposition factions, over its nominee. The SPA spearheaded months of protests that led to the military’s removal of long-time autocrat Omar Al Bashir.
The military will also name five members to the council, which will jointly select a sixth civilian member.
The sovereign council will function as a collective presidency under a political transition deal that was signed on Saturday by the civilian Forces for Freedom and Change and the Transitional Military Council.
The pro-democracy movement will also nominate a civilian-led government of non-partisan technocrats in which only the defence and interior ministers will be chosen by the military.
Civilians will also take 201 of the 300 seats in a legislative council, with the remainder going to political groups that are not members of the coalition.
The sovereign council will be led by a member of the military for the first 21 months of the transition period and by a civilian for the final 18 before elections are held.
The military has so far named three members to the council: TMC chairman Abdel Fattah Al Burhan, deputy chairman Gen Mohamed Dagalo and Lt Gen Yasser Al Atta. The other two will be named later.
