Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir has urged lawmakers to postpone controversial constitutional amendments, dissolved the central government, and declared a one-year state of emergency amid massive protests against poor living conditions.
In a televised speech on Friday, al-Bashir called on Sudan’s parliament to postpone controversial constitutional amendments that would allow him to run for another term in a presidential election in 2020.
Facing the biggest popular protests since he came to power 30 years ago, Bashir also declared a state of emergency for one year and said he would dissolve the central government and state governments across the country.
Earlier, Salah Abdullah, the director of Sudanese Security and Intelligence, said the Sudanese president was expected to announce that he will not seek a re-election in the 2020 votes, standing down in the wake of nationwide popular protests.
Acknowledging the popular protests that have rocked his administration in recent months, the 75-year-old said the “demands of our people for better living conditions are lawful”.
“I will not stop calling for all parties to sit at the dialogue table,” he added.
