New Public Opinion Poll Confirms Current Government’s Legitimacy and Rejects Call by “Taqaddam”
Port Sudan – Sudanhorizon
A public opinion poll conducted by the Arab Experts Centre for Press Services has affirmed that the current government in Sudan is qualified to represent the Sudanese people.
According to the results, which Sudanhorizon reviewed, 84.9% of the respondents believe the current government is constitutionally legitimate, while 13.9% disagreed.
Context of the Poll
The Arab Experts Centre stated that the Democratic Civilian Forces Coordinating Body (“Taqaddam”) proposed delegitimising the current Sudanese government during leadership meetings held in Entebbe, Uganda, on December 3, 2023. The proposal argued that the government lacks constitutional legitimacy due to the collapse of constitutional institutions following the outbreak of war in April 2023.
The meetings also discussed the potential announcement of a government-in-exile. Given the topic’s significance and impact on Sudan’s political future, the Arab Experts Centre launched an open online survey over five days with 42,077 participants.
Key Findings
- Support for Delegitimization: Only 12.6% of participants supported the idea of delegitimising the government.
Government-in-Exile:
- 84.9% opposed Taqaddam’s efforts to announce a government-in-exile.
- 80% believed there would be no international recognition of a Taqaddam-led government-in-exile, while 10.5% thought recognition might occur.
Perception of Taqaddam’s Influence:
- 78.7% linked Taqaddam’s call for a government-in-exile to Rapid Support Forces (RSF) attempts to establish civilian authority.
- 66.3% believed Taqaddam has no significant impact on Sudan’s political scene.
- 19.1% acknowledged limited influence, 8.8% saw considerable influence, and 5.8% expressed varying levels of uncertainty.
Legal and Public Support:
- 86% said Taqaddam lacks the legal mechanisms to delegitimise the government, while 13% believed it could secure international backing.
- 78.7% believed Taqaddam is incapable of achieving this goal, and 81.1% thought the group would fail to persuade domestic and international opinion of the government’s illegitimacy.
- 76% expected other Sudanese civilian forces to reject Taqaddam’s calls for delegitimisation.
The survey results reflect broad public scepticism toward Taqaddam’s proposals and reinforce confidence in the current government’s legitimacy.