National Dialogue Conference Begins
10 October, 2015KHARTOUM (SUDANOW) — The National Dialogue Conference began at Khartoum's Friendship Hall on Saturday. Present at the inaugural session were President Omar al-Beshir, Chadian President Idriss Deby (the guest of honor), Arab League Secretary-General Nabil al-Arabi, Arab Inter-parliament speaker Mohamed al-Jurwas, the Islamic Cooperation Organization's Assistant Secretary-General, a number of ambassadors accredited to Khartoum, leaders of political parties and some armed movements, thinkers and scholars.
Following recitation of verses of the Koran, reports on preparations for the conference were presented by the Secretariat and the coordination committee 7+7.
In his inauguration key speech, President Omar al-Beshir announced his willingness for promoting the two-month ceasefire he has previously declared into a permanent one provided that the other parties have shown willingness to do so.
He ordered the government authorities in all the country's localities and states to enable the political parties to exercise their political activities and the information authorizes to permit freedom for the press in observance of the country's laws.
Beshir also announced that all political detainees and prisoners would be freed, except those held for criminal offenses.
He lamented the fact that some people have failed to show up for participation in the conference, saying, however, that the door is open to them for joining. "They are Sudanese, after all," he said, adding: "We thank those who have come and we miss those who have failed to join."
He welcomed the three splinter rebel leaders who have participated in the conference, Abul Gasim Imam (Sudan Liberation Movement-Imam), al-Tahir Hajar (Liberation and Justice) and Mohamadain Ismael Abdalla Bishr (Sudan Liberation Movement).
The leader of the Umma National Party, Sadiq Al Mahdi, and that of the Democratic Unionist Party, Mohamed Osman Mirghani, failed to show up at the opening session.
Speaking before Beshir, the Arab League Secretary-General expressed the Arab solidarity with the Sudan for resolving its problems and commended the idea of the national dialogue as an exemplary means for resolving national problems.
Dr. Arabi was followed on the rostrum by Chadian President Idriss Deby who also praised the national dialogue idea and called upon all Sudanese parties and rebel movements to show up for participation in the conference.
He said his country shares many things with Sudan and each country is affected by the situation in the other, pledging commitment to assisting in the efforts for reaching peace and stability in the Sudan.
The purpose behind the national dialogue, as the Higher Coordination Committee of the National Dialogue (the 7+7 committee) has stressed, remains to agree on the higher strategic interests of the Sudan, how it could be governed and how to bar ascending power by forceful means.
The coordination committee has set 4 mechanisms for the dialogue which includes the notified political parties, the movements, the secretariat general of the national dialogue and the higher coordination committee as well as the six committee of the conference. The committees will review, for three months, six main issues including the identity, the freedoms and rights, the national economy, foreign relations, government and implementation of the outcome of the dialogue.
The coordination committee said any decision by the conferees should be with the unanimous consent or a 90% approval of those present.
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