Islamist-member of National Congress Party (NCP): Seeds of change exist, the government has to make reforms and combat corruption
02 March, 2011
Khartoum, (Sudanow) - Spurred by recent developments in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Yemen and Bahrain among others, sudanow sought the views of leading Islamist and member of the ruling party, Ahmed Abdul Rahaman Mohamed, currently the Secretary General of the Council for International People’s Friendship (CIPF) on how Sudan is equally vulnerable to such an eventuality. He reviews the current situation in Sudan and how it could be affected by what is going on around it, the need for reforms, combating corruption and recognizing the role of youth in the coming phase. Following are excerpts from the interview conducted by Sudanow reporter Osama Al Tayeb:-
Q: How do you read the Arab political scene in light of the recent developments and the uprisings in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Yemen and other countries of the regions?
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Answer: There is no doubt that monitors of the conditions in the Arab and African countries feel that there are many indicators which imply the possibility for change in all the Arab countries and that the region is burdened with great events. There are even people who think these events and revolts were late… However, even if they happened late or supposed to have happened earlier, their reasons for spurring them are available. Such factors are to be seen in lack of involvement in power sharing, the feeling of injustice and inequality among the peoples, disrespect for the concept of citizenship, and wide spread of corruption, which vary from one country to another.
Q: What are the preconditions for participation of the political parties in the power sharing process, and will the NCP have a veto on the participation of these parties in a power sharing process?
Answer: No there will be no veto on the political work. This term exists only at the United Nations’ Security Council. Separation of south Sudan brings us into a new phase that necessitates redrafting of a new constitution and a new vision to consensually run the country. The phase also necessitates involvement of key national figures to find a way out and resolve the problems.
Q: But one of these key figures has been placed behind the bars, detained, why should Al-Turabi be jailed at the time negotiations are underway with the opposition?
Answer: We are not talking about individuals!! We are talking about a party, the rule not the exceptional cases. The party should not be excluded regardless of the viewpoint held against its President. After all The Popular Congress Party is a recognized political party and it has participated in the elections, therefore its point of view should be listened to and this is what has actually happened. The party could have alliances against the government, but politics stand on transformations and it is difficult to determine the security calculations behind the move and I believe that al-Turabi, at this age of his and for his contributions to the country and the Islamic Da’wa (call), was better be at his home. The government and the security authorities distinct between the way they deal with the party and its leaders whom we were with yesterday and the way they deal with the Secretary General of the National Popular Congress and his personal behavior which he should be responsible of. This case must be turned into a rational matter to be utilized in rebuilding the state’s institutions.
Q: How do you interpret the silence of the West and the human rights organizations toward what is happening of massacres and slaughters against Arab protestors?
Answer: During the people’s uprising, the West has kept silent because it believes in democracy only for its people, not for the Arabs or Africans and therefore the West is directly responsible for supporting these systems. The reason behind the uprisings and the collapse of the systems was that those systems have depended on the West and subjugated themselves to the West, particularly the Tunisian and the Egyptian systems.
That was a source of weakness rather than a source of strength because these systems did not consider the people and their aspirations besides that the West walked away from these systems as if there were no relationship with them. It dumped them the way a person would throw away a (used) cleaning tissue. America is known for this type of behavior. This happened with the SHAHIN SHAH of Iran who was dealing with the Americans and when he was overthrown, America refused to give him political asylum. The Arab systems are not far from this fate because the seed of change exists in each Arab country.
Q: What are the factors of protests against the systems?
Answer: The deterioration and failure to manage financial, human and economic resources and failure to provide a good living for the people. The government is responsible of its citizens and to provide them with the minimum living standards. If this equation failed, there would be a risk that the people may lose trust in the standing system and reject it. The people must be convinced that justice is done and that nobody is above the law. They must be convinced that all people are equal that corruption is combated and that all judiciary system, courts and legal bodies are active in combating corruption. The General Auditor’s Chamber presents a report before the parliament each year embodying great embezzlements, but we have never heard that the people responsible were presented to court to be tried. The people must see justice be done. Corruption should be combated and power and wealth should fairly be distributed among individuals and states. It is unfair to see some people have everything and others have nothing, some have more than what they need and others do not have even the basic needs. Theses were the reasons behind the demonstrations in a number of countries around us and the State should commit to its .jpg)
duties toward the citizens.
Q: Is there a balance in development between the center and states?
Answer:Development rate in Khartoum state is %60 and this is not good. This is likely to increase unemployment and therefore rational development policies for the states must be worked out. Sudan is an agricultural country and agriculture must be associated with industry.
Q: What are the effects of the change winds on Sudan and the Arab nation?
Answer: Presently there is a greater concern to make economic and political reforms and the opportunity is now availed for attaching further concern to the weak people’s categories which can not stand the price boom in the country. There must be concern to the educational and health sectors as well.
Q: Recently there emerged a trend to combat corruption and reports sated that a commission has been formed for this purpose. To what extent do you think this would be effective in lessening this phenomenon?
Answer:I don’t value terminologies without action, but if the concerned authorities have adopted procedures and laws, I believe these procedures and laws would be capable of combating corruption.
Q: It has been reported that the Assistant to the President has demanded the Command of the Egyptian Army to order a withdrawal from Halaib. Has the road become paved for resolving the issue of Halaib after overthrow of Mubarak’s system?
Answer: Issues of border and points of tension are not among our priorities at this time. The time for these issues will come. I’m a member of a parliamentary committee concerned with the Halaib file. I think Halaib is a dispute within a family and this is a one region including Egypt regardless of who is ruling Egypt or its system of rule. Sooner or later Halaib will be an integration area and therefore, for Sudan the time is not suitable to talk about differences over borders, particularly with Egypt.
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Q: What is the effect of the change in Egypt on finding a final settlement for Halaib?
Answer: I’m confident that the change winds in Egypt would come up with elite leaders who are more capable to understand and overcome these matters in a way that achieve the benefits for the peoples of the two countries and better utilize our resources and develop our economies. Sudan has kept on repeating that it would accept Halaib as an integration point.
Q: What would the effect of removal of the Libyan system be on the Darfur issue?
Answer:Presently one cannot forecast, but the change in Egypt and particularly in Libya would have greater positive effects. Sudan should learn from the demonstrations around it. The government has the opportunity as Sudan has not subjugated its will to the West, which is a positive matter. The elites in Sudan are wise and they shoulder a great burden to save Sudan where they have adopted a principle of self-dependency that has never been seen in any other country. Sudan has never relayed on the foreigner in its food and basic needs, which is a positive matter for the Sudanese people who have endured in the face of the country’s enemies.
Q: Is the government honest in formation of the broad-based government and what are the guarantees in this respect?
Answer: These terminologies bear different contents and the strength of this system is represented in its knowledge of the nature of the opposition, its strength and its weakness. However, the government is requested to be more rational in dealing with the opposition and the citizens. It should work to expand the opportunities of participation in the government. The people need a government to believe it and to believe them and above all else accept the other. The phase requires expansion of the participation base, accommodation of others.
END-edited Mohamed Osman Adam
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