Roundtable Discussion on “Political Parties Law in Sudan: Toward Bridging Differences and Arriving at a Consensus” Sharja Hall, University of Khartoum, Sudan November 16, 2006
On 16 November 2006, the Sudan project organized a round-table discussion on “Political Parties Law in Sudan: Toward Bridging Differences and Arriving at a Consensus”, in collaboration with the University of Khartoum and the Canadian Parliamentary Centre, in Sharja Hall, University of Khartoum.
The round-table discussion was well attended by representatives of political parties, the group of experts who drafted the Parties’ Law with the sessions chaired by Prof. Mohamed Nuri Al-Amin, former Principal of the University and professor of Political Science; Prof. Mohamed Ibrahim Khalil, former Speaker of Parliament (1986-1989) and professor of Law, University of Khartoum. The workshop was also attended by members of civil society organizations from the North and the South as well as the press. Mr. Vidar Helgesen, Secretary-General of International IDEA, and Dr. Abdalla Hamdok, Regional Director for International IDEA’s Africa and Middle East Programme also participated in the workshop.
The main objectives of the workshop were:
- To facilitate information to political parties and civil society about the main tenets of the draft law of Political Parties.
- To identify areas of disagreements between the parties of GNU (NCP and SPLM) and opposition parties.
- To forge consensus and agreement on disputed clauses issues in the draft law and make this available for use in advocacy activities by civil society.
- To influence the debate on the law, which has already gained momentum. The draft law was about to go the Council of Ministers.
The workshop facilitated a lively debate on what opposition political parties see as controversial points in the draft law, a debate that has continued in the press and has influenced the thinking of both the NCP and SPLM.
