Sudan’s ruling military council on Friday said the African Union (AU) and Ethiopia’s joint proposal received on June 27 is suitable for the resumption of talks with the protest and opposition alliance on forming a transitional administration, reported France 24.
The African Union and Ethiopia presented a joint proposal on Thursday after the ruling generals last week called on the two to unify their efforts to draft a proposal for Sudan’s shift to a civilian rule.
“Although the transitional military council has some observations, the joint proposal from the African Union and Ethiopia can be a base for starting negotiations to form an interim authority,” General Shamseddine Kabbashi, spokesman of the ruling military council said in a brief statement broadcast on state television. “The Transitional Military Council is ready to negotiate to have an interim authority.”
The new proposal drafted by the two calls for a civilian-majority ruling council as demanded by protesters, but it fails to mention the make-up of a new transitional parliament. It suggests the creation of a 15-member, civilian-majority governing body for a three-year transitional period. But it didn’t mention about the composition of a legislative body.
Protesters and opposition groups also confirmed on Thursday that it received the proposal for a transition drafted by Ethiopia and the African Union.
“The Alliance for Freedom and Change received the draft… and will be considering the proposal to make a decision,” the protest and opposition alliance said in a statement.
An earlier proposal drafted by Ethiopia had stipulated a transitional parliament of 300 lawmakers, with 67 percent of them from the umbrella protest movement, the Alliance for Freedom and Change. The remaining 33 percent were to be from other political groups, excluding ousted longtime ruler Omar al-Bashir’s defunct National Congress Party. Bashir ruled Sudan for nearly 30 years before he was unseated following 16 weeks of mass street protests.
