Hamdok resurging as proposed PM of Sudan

Sudan approaches a new political battle, especially with the Arab country coming close to selecting a new prime minister.

This comes as Sudan keeps experiencing a transition that faces great challenges. These challenges can only be overcome through co-operation by all segments of the Sudanese society.

The name of former prime minister, Abdalla Hamdok, recurs every time representatives of parties to the conflict in Sudan sit on the negotiating table.

Hamdok had assumed the post of prime minister in August 2019, after a political agreement between the Coalition for Freedom and Change and the Army Command.

However, he left his position against the background of the decisions of the Sudanese Army Command on October 25, 2021.

Hamdok then returned to his post as prime minister less than a month later, in the light of a political agreement with the head of the Sudanese Sovereign Council, Lieutenant-General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.

With the continued failure of Hamdok's government to resolve the political crisis in Sudan, he had no choice but to submit his resignation on January 2 this year.

Now, the Sudanese are talking about the possibility of his return as head of the government.

Third time

The Sudanese Public Opinion Monitoring Organization submitted a questionnaire about preferred options among the members of the general public between August 1 and 10.

The poll showed great support for the return of Hamdok. If he returns, this will be his third time to assume the office of prime minister.

According to the organization, Hamdok won the support of 1,379 participants, with a rate of 66.78%, followed by the head of the Sudanese Congress Party, Omar al-Digair, who was supported by 140 participants with a rate of 6.69%.

It noted that a total of 2,243 people opined in the questionnaire.

Suggested names

The organization proposed Hamdok and Yasser Abbas, one of Hamdok's minisers, Wahba Mohamed, Madani Abbas Madani, and Nasr Eddine Abdel Bari, in addition to the head of the Sudanese Congress Party, Omar al-Diqair, Head of the Revolutionary Front and Hadi Idris, a member of the Sovereign Council.

The suggested names also included the leader of the Umma Party, Siddiq al-Sadiq al-Mahdi, the deputy head of the Popular Movement – North, Yasser Arman, the leader of the Communist Party, Sedqi Kablo, and the director of the Mineral Resources Company, Mubarak Ardol.

The majority of participants, according to the results of the survey, came in Khartoum with 54.4%, followed by participants outside Sudan with 18.58%, and the rest were distributed among different parts of the country.