Sudan approves constitutional amendments to include peace agreement

A joint meeting of the Sovereign Council and the cabinet approved on Sunday the harmonization of the peace agreement with the Constitutional Document, paving the way for the implementation of the peace agreement.

However, the move was rejected by the Sudanese Communist Party, alluding to resort to the constitutional court to annul this endorsement.

In line with the Juba peace agreement, the parties should harmonize the text of the transitional constitution with the peace deal which extends the term of the transition and allocates to the armed groups some seats in the collegial head of state.

In a statement released on Sunday evening, the transitional authority announced the adoption of the harmonized text of the constitutional document.

The joint meeting, also, rose the seats of the Sovereign Council to 14 by adding three allocated to the armed groups’ signatory of the peace agreement.

Further, the meeting also decided to add a new article to the transitional constitution establishing the Council of the Transitional Period Partners, consisting of Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC), the military component and the signatories to the peace agreement.

The purpose of this partnership body is to “discuss major political issues to facilitate the transition process,” said the statement.

The FFC groups used during the past period to hold a joint meeting with the Sovereign Council and the cabinet to discuss major political and economic decisions.

In line with the Constitutional Document, the joint meeting of Sovereign Council and the cabinet composes the legislative authority, until the establishment of the transitional legislative council.

Communists reject

The Sudanese Communist Party (SCP) said opposed to the adoption of the constitutional amendments by the joint meeting of the Sovereign Council and the cabinet.

An SCP leading member Kamal Karrar told Sudan Tribune that the interim Legislative Council “is not entitled to amend the Constitutional Document”.

Karrar pointed out that the constitutional text can be changed through two methods. The first is the Transitional Legislative Council after its formation, and the second by “the components of Forces for Freedom and Change, which also includes the Sudanese Revolutionary Front,” he said.

“The amendment of the constitutional document by the joint meeting was not mentioned in the Document,” he added.

Karrar expected that this procedure would trigger legal disputes such an appeal before the court.

He further underscored that the peace agreement dealt with issues related to the constitutional document without consulting the FFC.

The Communist Party believes that a peace agreement should tackle humanitarian issues and security arrangements including a ceasefire, while the rest of the issues will be discussed in the Constitutional Conference.

“The peace agreement deals with issues that are supposed to be addressed in the constitutional conference, such as the relationship of the state to religion, the regional governance, and the wealth-sharing, ” Karrar stressed.

Also, he cast doubt over the legitimacy of the tracks on eastern, northern and central Sudan.

“Those who led the negotiations in these tracks had no mandate from these regions. This lack of legitimacy could cause crises like what happened in eastern Sudan,” he stressed.