Why Are We Repeating the Same Mistakes?

Omer B. Abu Haraz

It seems that my article of last week was controversial. It raised the concern and worries of many.

Before I reply to the concern and worries, I beg to re-write the proposal in a more lucid presentation.

The essence of my proposal as a safe pragmatic way out to resolve the current impasse is the adoption of the Presidential System instead of the failed parliamentary System.

My logic in this choice is that the Parliamentary System was adopted since Independence in 1956, which is 66 years to date. In these 66 years, the civilian democratic parliamentary system ruled for only 9 years, the military rule for 52 years, plus 5 years three transitional periods.

The nine years of parliamentary rule witnessed the formation of eight weak coalition governments. Failure of the parliamentary system was manifested in the last democratic rule (1986 – 1989). In three years late Imam Sadiq Al-Mahdi formed three governments. That is one government every year. The three were so weak and fragile that led to an easy coup by a very limited number of Islamic officers and civilians who rule for 30 years till were ousted by the gallant December 2018upport Forces (RSF) decided to align with the revolutionaries who stage a historic sit-in around the Army H.Q. on April 6, 2019.

My proposal for abandoning the Parliamentary System is a safe lap in the daylight on the premises of a chronicle and failed Parliamentary governments.

My proposal steps for a safe way out are:

1. Adoption of a new Constitutional Document which specifies splitting a 4-year transitional period into two. The first is a short one-year period and the second three years.
2. Governance of the first period was to be by civilian non-partisan government. The military component is represented by one commander in the palace and Transitional Military Council (TMC) in the barracks. The only role of the TMC is the safeguarding of the country and citizens’ peace and security.
3. The main duty of the first transitional government is to conduct Presidential Elections at the end of the year.
4. The second 3 year transitional period will be ruled by the elected President whose terms of reference are:
5. Nominate a prime Minister and Council of Ministers to run the governance.
6. To prepare for Parliamentary elections by running a census, formation of electoral constituencies, and holding elections for a Parliament by the end of the second year of his term.
7. The elected MPs of the Parliament to adopt and pass a Permanent Constitution by the end of the third year.
8. At the onset of the election of the President, the military component went back to barracks to assume their normal duties as specified in Army Laws.
9. To those who are concerned and worried by comparing the two Presidential rules of Nimirie and Al-Bashir, I say the comparison is unfounded, Both Presidents emerged from two fully military autocratic regimes and rigged elections. My proposal calls for electing a President from a fully democratic environment.

My proposal arises from the wisdom of Einstein when he said “Insanity is repeating the same mistakes and expecting different results”.

I call for Dr. Volker and the Trio to entertain this proposal as a possible way out to break the present deadlock.