KHARTOUM, July 31 (Xinhua) -- African Union (AU) Envoy to Sudan, Mohamed Hacen Lebatt, on Wednesday said that the African mediation would not accept any excuse for delaying endorsement of the constitutional declaration by the Transitional Military Council (TMC) and the Freedom and Change Alliance.
Lebatt made the remarks at a press conference in Khartoum Wednesday, noting that "endorsement of the constitutional declaration is the most urgent matter now."
He explained that the joint legal committee is about to finalize its work with regard to preparing the constitutional document, expecting the document to be completed after a session of talks for the technical committee on Wednesday evening.
Meanwhile, the AU envoy condemned the killing of peaceful students in El Obied city in North Kordofan State, urging that the perpetrators be quickly arrested and brought to trial to receive due punishment according to the law.
A session of direct talks between the TMC and the opposition Freedom and Change Alliance was scheduled to be held Tuesday to discuss the constitutional declaration.
However, the session failed to convene following violent events during a demonstration by school students in El Obeid, the capital city of North Kordofan State on Monday, which left five people killed.
The document of the constitutional declaration includes powers of the sovereignty council and the post of prime minister during the transitional period.
On July 17, the TMC and the opposition alliance signed the political declaration which determines the political structures of the transitional period.
It stipulates the establishment of a joint sovereignty council of 11 members: five civilians, five military representatives and one civilian to be selected through mutual consultation.
