Sudan's President Bashir to be inaugurated for new term
Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir. He announced a new government with changes to key ministerial posts including defence, foreign affairs and oil, official Sudan TV reported on Sunday. AFP
What you need to know:
- The swearing-in ceremony will be held at the National Assembly at Omdurman.
- The heads of state and governments listed as guests at the ceremony include the African Union chairman and Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe and Kenya’s Uhuru Kenyatta.
- Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni is also expected to attend the ceremony, according to Sudan Foreign minister Ali Karti.
- The Sudanese people widely believed that everything was well choreographed to extend Bashir's 26-year reign.
Khartoum
Several heads of state and government are scheduled to attend Tuesday’s inauguration of re-elected Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir.
The swearing-in ceremony will be held at the National Assembly at Omdurman, after which the invited leaders from Africa and the Middle East will retreat for a reception at the new Republican Palace in Khartoum.
The heads of state and governments listed as guests at the ceremony include the African Union chairman and Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe and Kenya’s Uhuru Kenyatta.
Others include the presidents of Egypt, Chad, Eritrea, Somalia, Djibouti, the vice-president of South Sudan, the prime minister of Ethiopia, the secretary-general of the World Islamic Organisation and the leader of the Arab League.
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni is also expected to attend the ceremony, according to Sudan Foreign minister Ali Karti.
Although President Bashir has been in power since 1989, Tuesday’s swearing in ceremony marks his second term in office since the secession of South Sudan in 2011 after a national referendum.
NO BIG SURPRISE
President Bashir’s re-election for five more years came as no big surprise.
The Sudanese people widely believed that everything was well choreographed to extend his 26-year reign.
What many did not expect was that Gen Bashir would clinch a fresh mandate with a whooping 94 per cent vote.
He only managed 68 per cent victory in the more credible 2010 election.
Bashir’s ruling National Congress Party also won the parliamentary election with a comfortable 323 seats, out of the total 426.
Immediately after his victory, President Bashir took on his enemies with a stinging criticism, while vowing to end the rebellion in his country.
He cautioned the West to desist from interfering with Sudan’s internal affairs.
But President Bashir’s enemies remain unbowed.
Reacting to the election results, the opposition parties and the armed movements vowed to scale up their anti-government campaign, with a view to toppling it via a popular uprising.
