NCP, SPLM in consultations to form new government in Sudan
May 23, 2010 (KHARTOUM) – The ruling National Congress Party (NCP) and Sudan People Liberation Movement (SPLM) have entered into final deliberations on the formation of the post-election government, according to newspaper report.
The London based Al-Hayat newspaper said that South Sudan president Salva Kiir will fly to Khartoum this week to iron out the details of the government which will be tasked mainly with preparing the country for the 2011 self-determination referendum in the South that will likely produce the world’s newest state.
The NCP and SPLM have both achieved landslide victories in the North and South in the elections concluded last month which was marred by boycotts and allegations of fraud all over the country. International observers while acknowledging the flaws said the international community would recognize it nevertheless.
Some opposition figures accused the West of striking a deal with the NCP to give it legitimacy through recognizing the elections in return for facilitating the referendum process which is already well behind schedule raising fears of growing tensions ahead of the crucial vote.
On Monday the newly elected parliament will hold a procedural session to pick a speaker likely to be NCP figure Ahmed Ibrahim Al-Tahir who held the post before the elections. His deputy is expected to be Atem Garang from the SPLM.
Al-Hayat said that the new government will integrate four federal ministries and create two new ministries of electricity and culture, increasing number of ministries from 30 to 34. The ministers of state will go down from 36 to 15.
The ex-rebel leader from Darfur Minni Minnawi, Nafie Ali Nafie, Musa Mohammed Ahmed from Eastern Front movement are all expected to maintain their positions as presidential aides. The advisers to the president will be reduced from 14 to 5 advisers.
It is not clear what the status of 2nd Vice President Ali Osman Taha would be in new cabinet. Some reports have said that Nafie was a likely candidate to replace him. However, other sources said that president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir intends to place a Darfuri in this position namely the leader of the newly formed Darfuri rebel group Liberation and Justice Movement (LJM) Al-Tigani Al-Sissi.
Bashir will be sworn in before parliament next Thursday after which he is supposed to announce his new cabinet.