Available in Arabic

The National Congress Party was formally founded in 1998 when Omar al-Bashir, who had come to power in a military coup in 1989, completed a process restoring civilian rule without giving up any of his power or making the country more democratic. Following the coup d’état, Bashir and his then-ally Hassan al-Turabi, the leader of the National Islamic Front, deepened the Islamization of Sudan that had started in 1983, and in so doing also put an end to peace negotiations with southern Sudan. The period following the coup also saw the suspension of political parties and the restriction of civil rights and liberties. The National Islamist Front (NIF), the successor to the Islamic Charter Front, the political wing of the Sudanese Muslim Brotherhood, remained the dominant political force in the country

In 1993, Bashir dissolved the Revolutionary Command Council formed after the coup, became president and allowed the formation of a transitional National Assembly. In 1998, the government authorized the creation and participation of political parties, and Bashir and Turabi created the National Congress Party as the new face of the NIF. Turabi became chairman of the NCP and Speaker of the National Assembly. The alliance between Bashir and Turabi did not last long, however, and in 1999 Turabi opposed Bashir’s campaign to be re-elected president, prompting Bashir to dissolve the parliament and declare a state of emergency. Turabi was suspended as NCP chairman and arrested soon after. Despite the presence of opposition parties in the new civilian government, the NCP continued to dominate politics. In 2000, Bashir was re-elected president with 86.5 percent of the vote. The NCP won 350 out of the 360 seats in the National Assembly.

The 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) ended the civil war between north and south Sudan. The power-sharing agreement guaranteed parliamentary seats to the southern states, reducing the NCP’s overwhelming parliamentary majority. Nevertheless, the party maintained control of the government in the 2010 elections, in which Bashir was re-elected president with 68.2 percent of the vote and the party won 306 of the 450 seats in the expanded National Assembly. Most importantly, the NCP continued to monopolize the politics of the northern Sudan.

Party Platform

The NCP platform is openly Islamist, calling for “the righteous way of God through the guidance of sharia, custom, the constitution, and the law.”

Political Issues

• Establish a government that rules according to Islamic law with the unified consent of the populace
• Enable individual and society freedom of expression
• Consolidate governance around the principles of sharia and democracy
• Strengthen judicial independence and integrity
• Emphasize the importance of jihad and national service, strengthen the regular armed forces, and care for veterans
• Promote universal respect for and protection of the Constitution

Economic Issues

• Increase economic production through market liberalization and monopoly prevention
• Enforce Zakat (the tithe prescribed by Islam) among Muslims and encourage charity and aid
• Combat poverty and ensure the basic needs of individuals and communities, and distribute the national income fairly
• Encourage scientific research and artistic creativity that strengthens Sudanese culture and religious values
• Develop an ethic of hard work, team spirit, and respect for order in the workplace

Social Issues

• Safeguard the position of religion in public and private life
• Reduce corruption, crime, and immorality in society
• Strengthen the roles of women in the family and in public life
• Care and provide for children
• Develop community health care and environmental protection

Foreign Policy Issues

• Control the changing situation in south Sudan
• Strengthen the nation’s independence from foreign powers
• Work for the higher interests of the country and humanity by settling disputes between states and striving for goodness, justice, consultation, and the unity of humanity.

Position on the Referendum

Officially, the party accepts the referendum that will be held on January 9, 2011. However, the party’s platform also makes clear that the NCP is committed to national unity: “In accordance with the peace agreement, until the self-determination [referendum], we will promote the national unity option based on freedom, justice, equality and empowerment of community spirit and structure of the state.”

President Bashir has stated that the party is “committed to accept the results—whether unity or secession—as long as the referendum is conducted in a free, fair, and transparent manner.” However, NCP party officials have drawn attention to SPLM efforts to influence the vote and raised doubts about how free, fair, and transparent the referendum will be, which many analysts interpret as a strategy to establish a credible basis for rejecting the referendum result.

President Bashir has stated that if the south secedes, a new constitution will be written for northern Sudan. “Sharia law and Islam will be the main source for the constitution, Islam the official religion, and Arabic the official language.”

Activity Leading Up To The Referendum

The NCP has offered economic incentives to make unity an attractive choice for south Sudan. In October 2010, President Bashir promised that the central government will devote billions of dollars to developing southern “education, health, electricity, infrastructure, agricultural projects, and manufacturing, until it reaches a level comparable to services provided in other states of Sudan.” In December 2010, Bashir stated that the northern government was prepared to give up its 50 percent share of southern oil revenue guaranteed under the CPA if south Sudan voted for unity. It should be noted, though, that the CPA provision guaranteeing 50 percent of oil revenue for north Sudan will expire in July 2011 regardless.

The SPLM has accused the NCP of bribing voters in the north not to register or intimidating southern Sudanese residing in the north into voting for unity. In October 2010, Information Minister Kamal Obeid said that southerners “will not enjoy citizenship rights, jobs or benefits, they will not be allowed to buy or sell in Khartoum markets, and they will not be treated in hospitals” if the referendum endorses secession. And National Assembly Speaker Ahmed Ibrahim al Tahir said southerners would be “second class citizens” in north Sudan.

Responding to alleged SPLM manipulation of the voter registration procedure, the NCP threatened not to recognize the outcome of the referendum, saying that violations committed by the SPLM are undermining the credibility of the process. In mid-December NCP lawyers requested that Sudan’s Constitutional Court consider dissolving the South Sudan Referendum Commission for its failure to manage the registration process in a transparent manner.

NCP officials have blocked visa applications for international aid workers and election observers attempting to enter the country. In early December, just weeks before the referendum, northern military forces staged bombing runs against northern Bahr el Ghazal in November and western Bahr el Ghazal. SPLA officials charge that the bombing runs were meant to ignite conflict in order to disrupt the referendum process.