Presidential nomination rejected

The rebel Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A) has rejected the Sudanese president’s nomination of himself for a further presidential term. Official spokesman Yasir Arman said in Asmara, Eritrea, that the president’s self-nomination, announced to the ruling party’s general congress, showed a “lack of seriousness” to reach a comprehensive political agreement. The statement was published in the London-based newspaper, ‘Al-Sharq al-Awsat’, on 29 September, following the latest meeting in Asmara between National Democratic Alliance (NDA) leader Muhammad Uthman al-Mirghani and President Umar al-Bashir. The SPLM/A spokesman said: “The regime must freeze these and other elections and move earnestly towards a peaceful solution.” Arman was dismissive of the calls by Ummah Party leader Al-Sadiq al-Mahdi to hold a Sudanese summit meeting, saying the SPLM/A was “committed to the action taken by the NDA within the framework of the peaceful settlement”.