Home | News Saturday 7 November 2015
Sudan's opposition SCP suspends 20 members amid sharp internal differences
November 6, 2015 (KHARTOUM) - The central committee of the Sudanese Communist Party (SCP) has suspended twenty members and ended the full-time political work of seven others, said sources.
The political secretary of the Sudanese Communist Party, Mohammed Mokhtar al-Khateeb (ST)
Differences have escalated within the SCP ahead of the party's 6th convention following large demands for deep reforms including changing the name of the party.
SCP spokesperson was not reachable for comment.
According to the sources, the suspension included 20 members among them al-Shafie Khidir, Hatim Gattan, Mohamed Sulieman, Faisal Bashir and Hashim Tolub.
Press reports in Khartoum on Monday pointed that the SCP's central committee issued the decisions ahead of the 6th convention in order to avoid attempts led by Khidir and Gattan to win over the youths members to change the current leadership.
SCP central committee also decided to end the full-time work of several historic leaders amongst them the party's spokesperson Youssef Hussien, Siddig Youssef, Niemat Malik and Mustafa Khogali.
The same sources said the decisions were likely driven by the SCP secretary general Mohamed Mukhtar al-Khatiband the SCP organizational secretary Ali al-Kenain, pointing those who were suspended and referred for retirement have clear stances against both men.
The sources also pointed that al-Kenain has suggested the retirement move during the meeting of the central committee, saying his proposal was supported by Sulieman Hamid.
It is noteworthy that the leaders who were referred for retirement had previously demanded the central committee to launch an investigation against al-Kenain accusing him of serving external agenda.
According to the sources, 18 out of 23 members of the central committee who have attended the meeting voted in favor of the recent decisions while 5 others voted against it.
It should be mentioned that SCP's central committee includes 44 members, 6 of them had passed away while 4 others had left the party ranks after the secession of South Sudan in 2011.
The SCP was established in 1946 under the name of the "Anti Colonialism Front" and it was later known as the "Sudanese Movement for National Liberation" before its final name was adopted in 1956.