{Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir announced the resignation of First Vice President Ali Taha, state media reported, the first move in a Cabinet reshuffle announced that brought in younger members of the ruling party.}<\/p>\n
Taha held the country’s second-highest political position as first vice president and was the main negotiator of Sudan’s Comprehensive Peace Agreement in 2005 that brought an end to the Sudanese civil war.<\/p>\n
“[He] resigned to make space for the youth and there are no conflicts between us,” state media quoted Bashir as saying on Saturday.<\/p>\n
Taha was replaced by Lieutenant General Bakri Hassan Saleh. Bashir held a meeting with ruling National Congress Party leaders to approve the Cabinet reshuffle that introduced at least five ministers from the younger generation of the ruling party.<\/p>\n
An hour after midnight on Sunday, an official announced the second vice president as Hasbo Mohamed Abdulrahman and the parliament head as Alfateh Ezziddin.<\/p>\n
Critics of Bashir’s regime have become increasingly vocal since the government slashed fuel subsidies in September, leading to the worst urban unrest of his rule.<\/p>\n
Security forces are believed to have killed more than 200 demonstrators, and more than 700 were arrested, Amnesty International said, but the government has given a toll of less than half that.<\/p>\n
Analysts said the spontaneous protests pointed to an urgent need for change by the Arab-dominated regime grappling with ethnic rebellions in Darfur, South Kordofan and Blue Nile states, dissension within its own ranks, economic crisis and international isolation.<\/p>\n
Bashir has since talked of “reform”, and repeated a call for a dialogue with all political parties, including armed rebels.<\/p>\n
Taha was considered the “first” of two vice-presidents in Bashir’s administration.<\/p>\n
He led the National Islamic Front party which backed the 1989 coup that installed Bashir.<\/p>\n
He later became first vice-president but stepped aside for former rebel leader John Garang in July 2005 – a populist leader from the south that campaigned for a united Sudan – under terms of the peace deal.<\/p>\n
After Garang’s death in a helicopter crash about a month later Taha continued as second vice-president, but then re-assumed the top deputy’s post.<\/p>\n
Analysts last year said Taha was a possible successor to Bashir should he step down, while Hassan al-Turabi, who initially supported Bashir and then broke away to form an opposition party, saw rivalry between the president and Taha.<\/p>\n
Source:
\n Al Jazeera and agencies<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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