Press Release
The National Council
The Second Session
11 July 2010
The Final Communique
July 12, 2010 (Khartoum) — The second session of the National Council of SPLM-DC was convened in the period 9 -11 July 2010 in the Conference Hall at Afraa Commercial Centre in Khartoum.
Members of the National Council received the following documents and reports:
1. Report on the performance of the National Executive Committee,
2. Report on the work of the General Secretariat for the previous period,
3. A paper on the party’s grassroots building.
The speech of the Chairman in the opening sitting was also discussed by the Council. After a long, fruitful and frank discussion, the National Council resolved the following:
First: The Political Sector:
1. Maintaining the party’s position on dialogue and building political alliances with national parties whose programmes are not at variance with the party’s policies.
2. The party reaffirms its commitment to the resolution of the Darfur problem through dialogue and peaceful solution that addresses the root causes of the problem and involves the people of Darfur in the search for solution within the national effort.
3. Full and transparent implementation of the remaining provisions of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) and exerting efforts to overcome difficulties facing its implementation.
4. Consolidating the party’s relations with the active forces of the Sudanese community.
5. The party shall undertake to create a “Forum for Peace” in which rallies and discussions will be held on the current issues.
6. It is necessary to continue the South-South Dialogue and involve all the political forces in the debate on the problems that affect the destiny of Southern Sudan.
7. The continuation of the political enlightenment campaign to explain the meaning of the principle of Self-determination and highlighting the pros and cons of unity and separation.
8. Reactivation of the Easernt Front, Cairo, Abuja and other agreements.
9. It is necessary to speed up the formation of the Abyei Referendum Commission.
10. The Council believes that the people of Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile should be facilitated to exercise their right of popular consultation in accordance with the provisions of the CPA.
Second: The Organizational Sector:
1. The Council directs the leadership organs of the party to implement the resolutions of the National Delegates’ Congress in relation to the party’s grassroots building from the Basic Units to the State Conference by direct elections.
2. Continuation of the formation of the party’s branches abroad.
3. Mobilization of the entire party membership to play a positive role in the conduct of the referendum in South Sudan so as to serve the aspirations of the Sudanese people.
Third: The Economic Sector:
1. Avail equal opportunities for employment for each and every capable Sudanese on the premise that work is a right, duty and honour.
2. Adopting an agricultural policy that aims at the employment of advanced technologies in the area of agricultural production.
3. Implementing strategic projects that contribute to development and provide more job opportunities.
4. Encouragement of local and foreign investment.
Fourth: The Situation in South Sudan:
1. The Council expressed great concern about the massive rigging of the last general elections in the South by the SPLM using the SPLA and organs of the Government of Southern Sudan. It also noted that the political forces in Northern Sudan were tight-lipped on these corrupt practices. We, therefore, express our fear that the SPLM may repeat the same practices in relation to the referendum, which practices will raise doubt and rejection of the referendum result.
2. We demand the SPLM to desist from involving the SPLA in politics because it is supposed to be a national army in accordance with the CPA.
3. The Government of Southern Sudan must stop the current practice of discrimination in employments and dismissal from service of persons for the sole reason of political persuasions of the people concerned.
4. The strict adherence to the provisions of the CPA regarding the deployment of the SPLA in specifics locations away from populations’ areas, and the reactivation and training of the Police to discharge its duty of enforcing the law and maintaining public order and security.
5. The security organ in South Sudan must reflect its ethnic and regional diversity.
6. The Government of Southern Sudan must undertake to guarantee all rights and freedoms enshrined in the Bill of Rights, especially the right to political association, and must recognize the right to legitimate official opposition as part and parcel of the democratic practice in any democratic system of government.