New cabinet needed to solve crisis

Former presidential adviser and current chairman of the National Umma Party Abdullah Ali Masar has told Arabstoday that Sudan needs a new cabinet that can rise to the challenges the Sudanese political arena is facing, in particular the economy of the country.   In an interview with Arabstoday, Masar said that change is deeply needed: “Most members of the current cabinet are old: their performances aren’t what they used to be. Many members of the current cabinet have been in ministerial positions for nearly 23 years, some of them moved from one ministry to another.” “Senior leadership must make room for young people to get involved in politics, especially after the Sudanese Islamic Movement’s recent conference which discussed the need for change as a matter of urgency,” he said. “The new ministers must have specific qualities. They should apply austerity and not burden the exchequer with enormous expenses. They should also be able to give and innovate.” He said the current government, which was formed in order to implement austerity measures had “failed” to bring the principle to bear. On the current dispute between Sudan and South Sudan over the Abyei District, the National Umma politician said: “This issue is going to get more complicated as the African brokers are angling to refer the case to the Security Council.” “The danger here,” he said “is that the conflict over the Abyei region may be a prelude to referring other cases to the International Security Council, such as the matter of the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Sudan – Northern Sector.”  Masar also commented on the difficult path to peace in Darfur: “The people of Darfur lack a sufficient level of dialogue.” The politician added: “The Darfur Regional Authority, which is the party concerned with implementing the Doha Agreement, does not seem to enjoy internal harmony.” He also pointed out a third issue: “The lack of coordination between the Authority and the Darfur governments is obvious: the recent incident in north Darfur shows this: members of the Liberation and Justice Movement [LJM] were attacked by the Sudanese army. The incident, Masar said, was followed by conflicting reports from both sides—the government and the Authority, headed by LJM chairman Tijani Sese. “Repeats of such incidents could be prevented if we applied the security rules from the Doha Agreement, which stipulates that the movement’s armed militants should be integrated either in civilian or military life.” The former presidential adviser went on to say: “Some Darfurian armed movements did not join the peace process. This is one of the challenges that endanger the work of the Authority and the implementation of the Doha Agreement.” The party leader also warned that the Regional Authority does not have enough funds, which creates difficulties in executing projects in Darfur. The Authority has so far been dependent on Qatari financial support, Masar said, adding that it appears to be unable to attract international support. On federal economic matters, Masar said the budget presented by the government this year depends mainly on customs and tax revenues. It does not detail any programmes supporting agriculture and industry. The budget, he said, should have been clear in dealing with the economic challenges and should have treated them in a scientific manner. The government, he added, should be attentive to the people’s demands and understanding their problems in light of the continually rising prices. The prominent parliamentarian proposed the creation of a Ministry of Planning and another for the Exchequer, saying that the current Ministry of Finance is “incapable of enforcing changes in the Sudanese economy, whose problems are snowballing on a daily basis.” “Sudan’s internal debts are estimated at around $2 billion, and the inflation rate is currently 50 percent,” Masar added. On the role played by the other parties and the accusations of subjugation to the ruling National Congress Party being levied at them, Masar said: “Most parties have held their political conventions and these meetings have resulted in the formation of internal structures, and they have conducted their political leaderships and are therefore prepared to play positive roles.” Masar asked that all Sudanese currents remain vigilant with regard to the challenges and problems facing the country. He urged all to work seriously and with dedication to resolve them. Masar concluded the interview with a reference to the absence of ministers from parliamentary sessions, which has prompted the speaker to end the session and criticise the ministers for absenting themselves from the budgetary deliberations in which the ministers represents the executive power. This problem, Masar said, can be treated by amending parliamentary regulations to strengthen its decisions and make them binding.