Parliament calls for prime minister

The Sudanese parliament has called for the appointment of a prime or chief minister, ‘Al-Khartoum’ newspaper said on Monday. It said the call was made by a member of parliament belonging to the ruling National Congress party. Abdullah Badri, one of the MPs representing Khartoum State, said he made the proposal after questions were raised on the right of the first vice-president to present the government’s speech in parliament, ‘Al-Khartoum’ said.

The chairman of the parliamentary legislative and justice committee, Isma’il Hajj Musa, said the constitution allowed for the appointment of a prime minister. Constitutional amendments would be discussed by parliament during its second session, and would address the issue of a prime minister if it arose, ‘Al-Khartoum’ said. Ambassador Abd al-Rahman Hamzah, director of the office of the Sudanese government’s official spokesman, declined to comment on call for a prime minister, but told IRIN that “parliamentarians have full liberty to discuss any issue”.