Sudan opposition coalition appoints five civilian members of sovereign council

Sudan's opposition coalition on Sunday named five people as civilian members of the country's sovereign council to be sworn in on Monday, a source within the coalition told Reuters.
 
A power-sharing agreement signed on Saturday paves the way for a transitional government and eventual elections. It provides for a sovereign council as the highest authority in the country but largely delegates executive powers to the cabinet of ministers.
 
According to the agreement, the opposition coalition is allowed to choose five members of the council and the military another five, with the two sides jointly choosing a civilian as an eleventh member.
 
The Forces of Freedom and Change (FFC) chose Aisha Mousa, Siddig Tower, Mohamed Elfaki Suleiman, Hassan Sheikh Idris and Taha Othman Ishaq, the coalition source said.
 
On Saturday the spokesman for the Transitional Military Council (TMC) said that TMC head Lieutenant General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, his deputy General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo and Lieutenant General Yasser Al-Atta will serve as three of the five military members. It has yet to announce the other two chosen members.
 
Tens of thousands took to the streets of Khartoum on Saturday to celebrate the final signing of the power-sharing deal.
 
The military members will select the head of the council for the first 21 months of the transition period, which lasts three years and three months, according to the agreement.
 
The FFC has nominated economist Abdalla Hamdok as prime minister. He is expected to be appointed on Tuesday and sworn in on Wednesday.