Sudan Dialogue committee recommends structural reforms

The National Dialogue’s Committee for Governance Affairs has recommended the structural reform of the state at the levels of judiciary, governance, and organs of justice, to correct current imbalances in these fields. The committee, meeting in Khartoum, emphasised the nationalism in the Sudan Armed Forces, the police, and the intelligence and security service.

The chairman of the Governance Affairs Committee, Dr Barakat Mousa El Hawati told reporters on Thursday that the committee confirmed that the public office “is a right of the citizens”. He added that they agreed to delete the paragraph that states 'tribe' from the application forms for jobs.

The general secretariat for the National Dialogue announced that the first phase of the dialogue will end during the next week. The various committees are expected to wrap-up their meetings this month.

El Hawati's committee agreed to form a new high commission for civil services that will be responsible for public job policies, together with the high commissioner for recruitment. It will take action for war-affected areas in Sudan, taking into account the population density, he explained.

The National Dialogue participants agreed last week to form a transitional government to be chaired by President Omar Al Bashir. El Hawati further said that the Governance Committee unanimously approved the national and local levels of government.

National Dialogue

In January 2014, President Al Bashir proposed the establishment of a National Dialogue to deal with the political, financial, economic, and foreign crises the country is suffering from. He announced the restoration of public freedoms. In reality, however, these freedoms were further repressed.

After extensive preparations, the National Dialogue was inaugurated in Khartoum on 10 October last year. Though invited several times by the Sudanese president, the main opposition parties and armed movements declined to participate.

The secretary-general of the National Dialogue Conference, Prof. Hashim Ali Salim, said in a press statement this week that more than 100 political parties and 35 armed movements have participated in the first stage of the National Dialogue.