 |
Al-Ahram Weekly 20 - 26 July 2000 Issue No. 491 
|
||
Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
| ||
|
Al-Ahram Weekly 20 - 26 July 2000 Issue No. 491
|
||
| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
| ||
Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Features Travel Living Sports Profile People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters Cairo counsel
AS RELATIONS between Cairo and Khartoum continue to warm up, President Hosni Mubarak received on Monday a message from Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir delivered by Foreign Minister Mustafa Osman Ismail.
According to Foreign Minister Amr Moussa, Al-Bashir's message was intended to brief Mubarak on the domestic situation in Sudan, which is undergoing a process of national reconciliation but is marred by some "acts of a military nature."
Ismail also reported to Mubarak on "attempts by foreign quarters to interfere in the internal affairs of Sudan" -- a development which Cairo fully rejects, said Moussa. "Egypt does not accept any foreign interference in the domestic affairs of Sudan," he said, especially at a time when the country is working for a peaceful transition to a national dialogue to put an end to the bloodshed there.
The two capitals will continue their consultations, as well as consultations with Tripoli, which is the co-sponsor of an Egyptian-Libyan initiative to restore peace to Sudan. Attempts are being made to bring together all Sudanese factions, including southern Sudan rebels, to the negotiating table.
The second option which was expected by political observers was that for the president to issue a decree, that has the force of law, amending the second paragraph of Article 24 of the 1956 law on the exercise of political rights. The paragraph was declared unconstitutional by the court, and analysts say it must be amended to clearly state that only judges can oversee polling stations, both principal and auxiliary. In its current form, the paragraph in question states that principal polling stations should come under the supervision of members of the judiciary while auxiliary stations are to be overseen by civil servants. According to the Sudanese foreign minister, Mubarak impressed upon him the necessity of "developing bilateral relations." Egyptian and Sudanese officials will hold a joint committee on 2 September to review pending issues and work out means of improving bilateral relations. "We have already made great progress towards this objective," said Ismail.
