Sudan

Sudan Leader to Accept Secession of South

NewYork Times. February 7, 2011

KAMPALA, Uganda — With the announcement of final voting results, President Omar Hassan al-Bashir of Sudan said Mondaythat his government would accept the choice of the long-embattled region of southern Sudan to separate from the north, setting the stage for the creation of the world’s newest country this summer.According to the final count, announced in Sudan’s capital, Khartoum, 98.83 percent of the more than 3.8 million registered voters in southern Sudan chose to separate from the north. In many parts of thecountry the vote was over 99 percent.

Sudan has endured two long and brutal civil wars between the Arab north and the mostly animist and Christian south, in a period from the early years ofindependence from Britain to 2005, when a peace agreement was signed, setting the stage for the referendum.

Government of Sudan

Government type: “Democracy”
Political System: Federation

Branches -Executive

Head of State/Chief of Staff:
President Umar Hassan Ahmad al-BASHIR (since 16 October 1993)

First Vice President: Salva KIIR (since 4 August 2005)

Vice President Ali Osman TAHA(since 20 September 2005)

Cabinet: appointed by president

Branches - Legislative

Bicameral (replaced unicameral National Assembly of 360 seats) – 5 year terms National Assembly

450 membersappointed by president, according to the provisions of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement:

Council of States: 2 representatives from each state

Branches - Judicial

CourtsConstitutional Court (nine justices)
National Supreme Court
National Courts of Appeal
Other national courts
National Judicial Service Commission (will undertake overall management of the National Judiciary)Legal system
English common law
the traditional unwritten law of England, based on custom and usage
Islamic law (aka. Sharia Law)
Does not apply to the Southern states
These states are still...