Constitutional Court rejects petition against Bashir

The Constitutional Court on Saturday decided to close the constitutional petition filed by some members of the dissolved National Assembly against the 12 December decree by President Omar al-Bashir which declared a state of emergency and dissolved parliament, Sudanese television reported. Al-Bashir dissolved parliament to thwart an attempt by former parliamentary speaker Hassan al-Turabi - with whom he was engaged in a power struggle -to have the assembly limit the president's powers.
Constitutional Court judge Jalal Ali Lutfi said on Saturday the president had the right to end the term of the National Assembly "in exercise of the powers given to him by the constitution," the television report said.
Lutfi said the court would soon deliver its formal ruling on the
constitutional petition and inform all parties of the verdict.