PCP denies resolving dispute with NCP

The Secretary of Foreign Relations in Sudan's Popular Congress Party (PCP), Bashir Adam Rahma, has denied the presence of a regional initiative to resolve differences between the country's ruling National Congress Party (NCP), led by President Omar al-Bashir, and the PCP, led by Hassan al-Turabi. Rahma. "These are just rumours to distract the opposition," he said. For his part, a member of politburo of the ruling party, Nizar Khaled Mahjoub, told the Sudanese Centre for Press Services that efforts by Egypt, Tunisia and Libya to resolve political differences was a result of internal initiatives between the two parties. The most important  initiative was introduced by youth members. Mahjoub also said Egypt's new Islamist-led government was keen to help solve internal differences between the Sudanese parties. He added: “These countries found that the solution to the internal crisis was only by resolving differences between the two major parties, along with the renewal of Islamic political thought. The control of Islamist movements in Tunisia and Libya helped encourage the Islamists in Sudan to unite." The PCP's Rahma said that "whenever the government was pressured, it resorted to such methods, especially since the PCP and the rest of the opposition have succeeded in cornering the government". "This is part of a media war, adopted by the government against the opposition," he added. The foreign secretary also denied there was any intention to join the government, saying that if they were willing to reconcile with the regime, they would not have split from it. The current government created havoc in the country and brought hostility to Sudan and impoverished the majority of the people...our party is committed to overthrowing the regime and those who intend to put forward an initiative for reconciliation should be aware of this fact," said Rahmi. Arab efforts led by foreign experts are determined to resolve differences between Turabi and the ruling regime, but they all failed. Commenting on resolving the differences between the NCP and PCP, the head of the Sudanese journalists' union, Mohiuddin Tetaoi, said if the partie looked at things objectively, then they could achieve reconciliation. He added to Arabstoday that the problem of politics in the Sudan was that there are parties which have interests in maintaining disputes. He continued : “The PCP’s dream is to overthrow the regime, and this has not yet been achieved.” He hinted that the interests of the Sudanese people "got lost under the conflicting parties", as since independence in 1956, Sudanese politicians had failed to agree among themselves on a permanent constitution for the country that laid down the foundations of democracy and peaceful handover of power.