Sudan military council, opposition reach agreement on rule structures, transition period

Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-15 14:11:13|Editor: Yamei
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KHARTOUM, May 15 (Xinhua) -- Sudan's Transitional Military Council (TMC) announced Wednesday that it agreed with the major opposition forces on the rule structures and a three-year power transition period.

"We have agreed on powers of the sovereignty council, the council of ministers and the legislative council," said Lt. Gen. Yasser al-Atta, a TMC member, at a press conference in Khartoum early Wednesday.

The two sides have also agreed that "the transitional period duration will be three years," said the TMC member. "The first six months will be allotted for achieving peace all over Sudan."

A comprehensive deal that fulfils the aspirations of the people would be completed in less than 24 hours, he said.

According to al-Atta, the legislative council is to be comprised of 300 members, 67 percent of which is from the Freedom and Change Alliance and the rest will be from the other political forces.

The Sudanese military staged a coup on April 11, following four months of anti-government protests. President Omar al-Bashir who had been in power for nearly 30 years was overthrown and then imprisoned.

Sudan's opposition Freedom and Change Alliance has been holding intermittent talks with the TMC, chaired by Abdel-Fattah al-Burhan and tasked with running Sudan's affairs following the ouster of al-Bashir, on procedures concerning the formation of the rule mechanisms during the transitional period since April.

Thousands of protesters led by the opposition forces have been gathering outside the army headquarters since al-Bashir's overthrow to express their demand for civilian rule.

Earlier this week, the latest round of negotiations between the two sides resumed amid clashes between unidentified groups and protesters, which killed several people and injured dozens.

"There are parties targeting the revolution," the TMC said in a statement in response to the violence. "They are working to foil any agreement reached and push the country into a dark tunnel."

Last week, after meeting with al-Burhan, the African Union Commission (AUC) Chairperson's Special Envoy to Sudan Mohamed El Hacen Lebatt urged the political parties in Sudan to reach a deal.

The African Union (AU) earlier this month granted the TMC a 60-day extension to hand over the power to a civilian-led authority.

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