KHARTOUM (AA) - A spokesperson for Sudan's Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), the partner of President Omar al-Bashir's National Congress Party (NCP) in government, has resigned from his post -- and even quit politics -- to protest his party's stance on the anti-austerity protests convulsing the country.
"I announce my resignation from the party and quitting politics in protest of the continuation of the DUP in the government despite the protests that hit several Sudanese cities," Ibrahim al-Mirghani declared in a Wednesday statement.
"I urge the DUP to withdraw from the government," he added.
The DUP, which joined forces with al-Bashir's ruling NCP in 2011 and has five ministers in the 28-member cabinet, had backed last week's controversial government decision to lift state subsidies on fuel and other commodities.
The move, however, sparked massive public anger, drawing thousands of protesters onto the streets nationwide.
While activists say more than 100 people have been killed so far in protest-related violence, Sudanese authorities put the toll at 34, including several police officers.
Shortly after the eruption of protests, DUP leader Mohamed Osman al-Mirghani left the country for London for "medical examinations".
The DUP has slammed the heavy-handed government crackdown on anti-austerity protesters, but has refrained from withdrawing its ministers from the government.
DUP board member Babakr Abdel-Rahman told the Anadolu Agency that several party members had resigned to protest the party's continued presence in the NCP-led government.
"The party's high board was supposed to hold a meeting on Tuesday to discuss the issue, but al-Mirghani called it off," Abdel-Rahman said.
"Several DUP leaders decided to send a strong-worded memo to al-Mirghani to take the historic decision of pulling out of the partnership with the NCP," he said.
He added: "We cannot be partners in killing citizens."
by Nabil Selim
englishnews@aa.com.tr
