Sudanese protestors are all set for a two-day strike starting Tuesday to put pressure on the ruling military council for transfer of power to civilian rule.
On Monday, Sudan’s alliance of opposition and protest groups said it would push ahead with a two-day general strike after talks with the ruling military council suspended, reported VOA News.
The two sides are at a standstill after weeks of negotiation over who will head the new sovereign body that will lead the country until the elections are conducted.
The new governing body will install a transitional civilian government, which would prepare for the first post-Bashir elections after a three-year interim period ends.
Wagdy Saleh, from the Declaration of Freedom and Change Forces (DFCF) alliance, said the Transitional Military Council (TMC) demanded a two-thirds majority, of eight to three, in the sovereign council.
“The response to the call for a strike has been better than we expected,” said Siddiq Farukh, a leader of the protest movement.”The two-day strike aims to deliver a message to the whole world that the Sudanese people want a real change and they don’t want the power to be with the military.”
Saleh did not rule out an “indefinite strike” in the future if the deadlock continues.
“But we hope that we reach an agreement with the military council and won’t have to go on an indefinite strike,” he said.
Lieutenant General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, who is the deputy head of the TMC, said earlier on Monday that the council was ready to hand over power. He blamed the opposition of not being serious about sharing power and wanted to confine the military to a ceremonial role.
“By God, their slogans cheated us. I swear we were honest with them 100%,” Dagalo said. “That’s why, by God Almighty, we will not hand this country except to safe hands.”
