KHARTOUM, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- An early political battle seems to have begun among Sudan's political forces over the nomination of President Omar al-Bashir by his ruling National Congress Party (NCP) for the upcoming presidential elections in 2020.
NCP Deputy Chairman, Faisal Hassan Ibrahim, was reported by some Sudanese local media on Tuesday to have said that his party has received positive signs on selecting the party's Chairman Omar al-Bashir as candidate for the 2020 elections.
He said by renewing the trust in its chairman and overcoming his candidacy for the 2020 elections, the NCP has enhanced the political will for the political parties and religious groups.
To this end, Sudan's Ansar al-Sunna Group was the first to support the re-election of Bashir for a third presidential term.
Head of the group Ismail Mohamed al-Mahi commended "the NCP agreement and consensus on Bashir as the party candidate for the 2020 elections."
In a sermon at one of the group's mosques in central Khartoum, Mahi regarded the NCP move as "a positive step" in unity of the ruling party.
However, a large number of Sudanese political parties started to publicly express their rejection to giving Bashir a third chance in the 2020 elections, declaring determination to resist the move.
Even voices from within the NCP itself emerged rejecting the re-election of Bashir, which threatens to split the party if it continues such move, as the official nomination of Bashir for the election is to be decided in the meeting of the party's Leadership Office, slated for April 2019.
Amin Hassan Omer, a leading NCP member, renewed his criticism for the ongoing efforts to nominate Bashir for a new presidential term, stressing that the amendments made by the NCP consultation council to the party's statute contradicts with the country's constitution.
"No party is allowed to make its statute contradictory to the constitution. If they want to change the statute, the amendment should not take place before amending the constitution," Omer said in a social media channel which brings together a number of the ruling party leaders.
Meanwhile, in a statement published by Sudanese media, the Reform Now Movement, led by Ghazi Salahuddin, declared its rejecting stance to Bashir's nomination.
It described the move as "serious" and is likely to lead to collapse of the political process in the country.
The movement said it is planing to work with other political forces to abort and counter the NCP move by all instruments of political work.
Chairman of the opposition National Umma Party, Sadiq al-Mahdi, who currently resides abroad, in a letter titled "National Salvation" Monday, vowed to mobilize national and international condemnations against the NCP decision to nominate Bashir for 2020 elections.
The rebel Justice and Equality Movement, which is fighting the Sudanese government in Darfur, described in a statement Monday that the decision of the NCP consultation council as the beginning of "a constitutional massacre" that aims to amend the country's 2015 constitution to avail Bashir legitimacy to remain in power.
The NCP's consultation council, known as Shura, on Aug. 10 approved amendments to its statute, as the limit on presidential candidacy to two terms was cancelled.
The council is the second highest authority of the party after the General Congress. Among its tasks is the election of the members of the party's leadership bureau.
Bashir assumed power after a military coup in 1989. He won presidential elections in April 2010, and extended presidency in April 2015 after a sweeping victory.
