Sudan’s Ruling Party Scraps Term Limits Allowing Incumbent to Extend Rule

President Omar Al-Bashir

Sudan’s ruling National Congress Party (NCP) has amended its constitution to allow President Omar Al-Bashir to stand as its candidate in the 2020 elections.

The party made the announcement late Thursday after its consultative council, the Shura, adopted the amendment unanimously.

Confirming the move, the chairman of the Shura Council, the party’s legislature, Prof Kabashor Kuku revealed that NCP has abolished its two-term limit for a presidential candidate.

“After long consultations among the elected consultative council members, we have come to a consensus to nominate President Omar Al-Bashir for another term,” he said.

The amendment paves the way for the party to seek to change the Sudanese Constitution that allows a president to only serve a maximum of two five-year terms.

For the 74-year-old Bashir, he will be seeking to extend his 29-year reign after seizing power in a military coup in 1989.

He was indicted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur in 2009.

Despite the ICC arrest warrant, he won in the 2010 and 2015 elections that were marred by controversy and opposition boycotts.

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