Lawmakers in Sudan have backed plans to amend the country’s constitution so President Omar al-Bashir can run for a third term in 2020.
President al-Bashir this year received the backing of his ruling party for the 2020 election. His party intends supporting him as a candidate for the election.
The Sudan’s ruling National Congress Party (NCP) has also amended its constitution to allow al-Bashir to stand as its candidate.
The party’s move however will mean that the country’s constitution must be amended to reflect the development.
Sudan’s constitution was amended in 2005. It limits a president’s number of terms to two. President Bashir has been in power for nearly 30 years.
The speaker of Sudan’s parliament, Ibrahim Ahmed Omar says the backing for a constitutional amendment came from majority of lawmakers.
He is quoted by Reuters as saying that “I will abide by the constitutional and legal steps and the regulations necessary to discuss these amendments in parliament for it to take any decision on them.”
The Sudanese President previously said he would step down in 2020. He has yet to declare his intention not to run again publicly.
With his ruling party declaring its support for him, there are signals he may decide to run again.
Al-Bashir is accused by the International Criminal Court of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in Darfur during fighting since 2003.
Source: Africafeeds.com
