Democratic Unionist Party (Sudan)
Encyclopedia
The Democratic Unionist Party (Al Hizb Al-Ittihadi Al-Dimuqrati) is the oldest political party
in Sudan
.
Sudan's first President Ismail al-Azhari
was a member of the party when it was known as the National Unionist Party. It was in 1967, in the house of its patron Sir Sayyid Ali Al-Mirghani, that Al-Azhari declared the new party under the name; Democratic Unionist Party in the presence of the current leader Al-Sayyid
Muhammad Othman Al-Mirghani and King Faisal of Saudi Arabia
.
The party's main platform is in favour of the unity of Sudan
and previously Sudan
and Egypt
the downstream Nile River riparians.
The head of the Sudan DUP is Al-Sayyid
Muhammad Othman Al-Mirghani. He is also the head of the Khatmiya Sufi order and a descendant of the prophet Muhammad
.
The DUP is the only Sudanese party to have ever solely governed the country through democratic elections (1953) winning 58 seats followed by the Umma Party with 22 seats. It is seen as the only major Sudanese party that has not participated in a coup d'etat in Sudan since its independence.
In the last democratic elections (in 1984) the party won the largest number of votes and came second in the number of seats won in parliament.
The basic intellectual underpinnings of the party since its general congress in late 1960s, are: democratic pluralism (parliamentary) politically, socialism democracy economically, social justice, and the establishment of a neutral country towards religions as the only acceptable way for peaceful coexistence in a country with different components of ethnic, tribal, religious, intellectual and cultural aspects in order to ensure the principle of that the "The sole basis of rights and duties should be based upon the Citizenship alone.".
The party has long-standing relations with the SPLM with whom it signed the Peace Deal of November 1988 in Ethiopia
which was then opposed by the NIF party. It also enjoys good relationships with almost all the Sudanese political groups.
The last legislative elections
, December 2000, were boycotted by the party, as most of the political groups, described as unfair and rigged.
Through the National Democratic Alliance
it played a major role in the opposition to the NIF regime in Sudan during 1989-2005 until the signing of the Cairo Peace Agreement between the NDA
and the government of Sudan. As a consequence of its stances the DUP has suffered continuous attempts to divide and weaken it by the Sudanese security forces and the ruling party of Sudan, which seem to have failed so far.
Since the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement between the SPLM and the government of Sudan, the party's position has shifted towards a more mediatory role attempting to re-align the old and new opposition parties in a comprehensive stance to tackle the broader Sudanese issues such as unity, elections and transition into democracy avoiding polarisation which it views as damaging to the long term interests of the country.
It continues to view the National Democratic Alliance
as a long term alliance that could rightly guide the political movement in Sudan
.
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
in Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
.
Sudan's first President Ismail al-Azhari
Ismail al-Azhari
Ismail al-Azhari was a Sudanese nationalist and political figure. He served as the Prime Minister of Sudan between 1954 and 1956, and as President of Sudan from 1964 until he was overthrown by Gaafar Nimeiry in 1969.-Early life:...
was a member of the party when it was known as the National Unionist Party. It was in 1967, in the house of its patron Sir Sayyid Ali Al-Mirghani, that Al-Azhari declared the new party under the name; Democratic Unionist Party in the presence of the current leader Al-Sayyid
Al-Sayyid
al-Sayyid or al-Sayed is a Bedouin village in the Negev desert of southern Israel, located between Arad and Beersheba, just south of Hura...
Muhammad Othman Al-Mirghani and King Faisal of Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
.
The party's main platform is in favour of the unity of Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
and previously Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
and Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
the downstream Nile River riparians.
The head of the Sudan DUP is Al-Sayyid
Al-Sayyid
al-Sayyid or al-Sayed is a Bedouin village in the Negev desert of southern Israel, located between Arad and Beersheba, just south of Hura...
Muhammad Othman Al-Mirghani. He is also the head of the Khatmiya Sufi order and a descendant of the prophet Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
.
The DUP is the only Sudanese party to have ever solely governed the country through democratic elections (1953) winning 58 seats followed by the Umma Party with 22 seats. It is seen as the only major Sudanese party that has not participated in a coup d'etat in Sudan since its independence.
In the last democratic elections (in 1984) the party won the largest number of votes and came second in the number of seats won in parliament.
The basic intellectual underpinnings of the party since its general congress in late 1960s, are: democratic pluralism (parliamentary) politically, socialism democracy economically, social justice, and the establishment of a neutral country towards religions as the only acceptable way for peaceful coexistence in a country with different components of ethnic, tribal, religious, intellectual and cultural aspects in order to ensure the principle of that the "The sole basis of rights and duties should be based upon the Citizenship alone.".
The party has long-standing relations with the SPLM with whom it signed the Peace Deal of November 1988 in Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
which was then opposed by the NIF party. It also enjoys good relationships with almost all the Sudanese political groups.
The last legislative elections
Elections in Sudan
Elections in Sudan gives information on election and election results in Sudan.Sudan elects on national level a head of state - the president - and a legislature. In the most recent election of 2010, there were two presidential elections, one for the Presidency of the Republic of Sudan and one for...
, December 2000, were boycotted by the party, as most of the political groups, described as unfair and rigged.
Through the National Democratic Alliance
National Democratic Alliance (Sudan)
The National Democratic Alliance is a group of 13 political parties that formed in 1989 to oppose the new regime of Omar Hassan al-Bashir after he seized power in a military coup on June 6, 1989. The NDA signed a deal with the Sudanese government on June 18, 2005, following a peace agreement to...
it played a major role in the opposition to the NIF regime in Sudan during 1989-2005 until the signing of the Cairo Peace Agreement between the NDA
NDA
NDA is an abbreviation that may refer to:* National Dance Association, the oldest American organization for dance education* National Defence Academy , a military academy in India...
and the government of Sudan. As a consequence of its stances the DUP has suffered continuous attempts to divide and weaken it by the Sudanese security forces and the ruling party of Sudan, which seem to have failed so far.
Since the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement between the SPLM and the government of Sudan, the party's position has shifted towards a more mediatory role attempting to re-align the old and new opposition parties in a comprehensive stance to tackle the broader Sudanese issues such as unity, elections and transition into democracy avoiding polarisation which it views as damaging to the long term interests of the country.
It continues to view the National Democratic Alliance
National Democratic Alliance (Sudan)
The National Democratic Alliance is a group of 13 political parties that formed in 1989 to oppose the new regime of Omar Hassan al-Bashir after he seized power in a military coup on June 6, 1989. The NDA signed a deal with the Sudanese government on June 18, 2005, following a peace agreement to...
as a long term alliance that could rightly guide the political movement in Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
.