الحركة تؤكد أنها ستصوت ضد مشروع قانون الأمن المقدم من المؤتمر الوطني

SPLM says will not endorse national security bill
Friday 18 December 2009 04:30.
Printer-Friendly version Comments...

December 17, 2009 (KHARTOUM) — The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) reaffirmed its rejection to the bill of National Security saying it would vote against it next Sunday.


The SPLM and the dominant National Congress Party blocks at the National Assembly failed today to reach an agreement over the disputed bill which is seen crucial for successful democratic election in the country next year.

Yaser Arman, the leader of SPLM block at the Sudanese parliament and SPLM deputy Secretary General for northern Sudan, told Sudan Tribune Thursday they reiterated their opposition to the national security bill during the meeting because they "are opposed the powers to arrest, detention, search and seizure, and immunities for national security personnel," he said.

"This is our initial and last position and we will not endorse this bill on Sunday," he added.

Arman also said the NCP is determined to pass this bill with the mechanical majority stressing this position violates the spirit and the text of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement and the interim constitution.

In October, the SPLM and Sudanese opposition parties walked out of parliament because they objected to a draft national security bill endorsed by the ruling party that retained broad powers of arrest, detention, and immunities for national security personnel.

The two peace partners following a protest on December 7, reached an agreement on the referendum bills for southern Sudan and Abyei and the popular consultations for Blue Nile and South Darfur states, but failed to agree on the democratic reforms bills particularly the National Security and the syndicates’ bills.

The current law, the 1999 National Security Forces Act, allows the National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) to arrest and detain people without charge for up to nine months, and without judicial review for six months. It also grants them broad powers of search and seizure, and contains immunity provisions.

Sulaiman Hamid Al-Haj, spokesperson of the opposition National Democratic Alliance block at the National Assembly announced they would boycott the assembly session on Sunday, he stressed they took this decision after a meeting of the parliamentary blocs of the NDA, SPLM and the bloc of Darfur Peace MPs.

The former rebel Sudan Liberation Movement of the Senior Presidential Assistant Minni Minnawi joined the opposition parties and the SPLM during the two protests organized for the democratic reforms on 7 and 14 December.

On Tuesday 15, federal minister of parliamentary affairs, Joseph Okello, presented draft bills on South Sudan and Abyei Referendum to the National Assembly for deliberations.

He also tabled the popular consultation bill for the contested areas of South Kordofan and Blue Nile to the assembly. Subsequently the bills got their way to the special parliamentary committee headed by Badria Suleiman from the NCP.

Arman also said the two blocks agreed on their meeting on Thursday to replace five of the former SPLM lawmakers with other five MPs. The move includes Lam Akol, Ghazi Suleiman and three other splinter members.

(ST)

http://www.sudaneseonline.com/spip.php?article33492