Pandemic mass protests demanding change economic recession and geopolitical tensions not to mention the small matter of a looming election join me Steve Clemons in conversation with leading voices on the bottom line your weekly take on u. S. Politics and society on aljazeera. Theyre welcome to my home in Fairfax Virginia im josh rushing sitting in for the irreplaceable for me ok and this is the stream today were asking is to dan on the path to democracy still now look if youre watching this on you tube you see that box over there yet right there that is the live you tube chat help me out get in the conversation we have a producer in there thats going to get your comments or your questions to me and im going to try to get them in the show now let me catch you up on whats been happening in sudan were just over a year from omar bashir is government being toppled the new government set a goal of elections in 2022 so thats what everyones watching some of the problems as they were deadlines along the way like establishing a Legislative Council but they are already missed those deadlines so concerns are rising particularly as the economy seems to be in dire shape which shortages of food fuel electricity and at play sion on the rise now new protests hit the streets just at the end of june take a look at those here. And. To. A lot of the demands we want to filter out the formation of a Legislative Council the can see the fights over the governments activities the 2nd demand is the cheap and have comprehensive and just peace and the 3rd is a civil state what about it. When your 3rd demand is a civil state its a sign there may be trouble theres been a whole set of laws that came out in the last week or cell that seem to liberalize things but other laws were cracking down and there have been conservative protests since then check out some is conservative voices not everyones happy about the new laws. So if i let enough one i would rather have we wont allow bars to reopen we wont allow prostitution again this people is a muslim people and this is the voice of the people to stop us all i mean it when i saw a gun and it got us in sudan men women and children are honest im spiny chair we wont allow any interference and we wont allow any distortion of the laws of islam and say it is our duty to talk to the streets until the government falls thats when you. And of course these challenges fall on the desk of Prime Minister abdullah doc heres what he had to say about it i think we have the money speculations of all to be able to logically sort of very i expect from this it will lucian here can go down as a lie and while the Economic Reform Program we know so well. And politics has to be aligned is not an easy job why would anyone doubt getting it right in the Peace Process at this ng that it is should be but also like the rest of the wall as if we do not have enough challenges in order to lives we would have to a discovered 900. 00. And what seems to be the most recent news here is that omar bashir may actually face a new set of trials beginning as early as this week of course hes already but convicted once of corruption but this trial will be about the coup which he led in 1989 now to discuss all this and more were joined by an exciting panel of guests all from khartoum im going to ask them to introduce themselves but im going to begin with Al Jazeera English his own more going to have a hey how are you. Looks like there might be a delay there or her pictures frozen so were going to move on collude can you introduce yourself and tell us why youre here both i a managing director of a think tank here team and we set up to help with the transition so thats 5 b. N. Government in order to be able to kind of manage its way through the social test function so those. Perfect things hey have a i just introduced it was Al Jazeera English is own and is you mike there was a pause in the video and you can you tell us just a bit about where you are and what youve been up to. While im in a hot zone to catholics and ive been covering the series. The latest with the developments and social developments are happening here in stan and one of them obviously is the latest legal reforms in the case around its very think you have a were joined by one further guess which is the top but i think were having some issues with his signal to moment so ill bring him in once we get a good signal from him and have him introduce themselves to you lets begin with some of those written legal reforms you were just talking about there have been lets start with the ones that are affecting the women in sudan is this a win for women. Well ive spoken to a lot of women of all this and one thing i want to say to the social media reaction i relent and man i also dont feel like yes this is a few steps towards what they want some people need one that has been awesome for but the fact that you know s. G. I. Has now been banned is something that they celebrate and the fact that women and mother is going to travel with their kids without the permission of the father or rather without the presence of a father because its just pulled back around in the past a woman cannot travel with her own son regardless of the peace and without the father being there with him giving his own personal approval and signing off on this i think yes the mother from power was even going to ask for him to you know one of the main requirements for having an identity or an official license if he having a nationality idea and a 40 candles out love affair from the father now they can do that selfworth and thats thats a big step its one of if im asking for and there are people who lost their children because they couldnt travel with their children their 6 children because the father has been getting off especially separated or divorced parents that its been very complicated and there were times where they have to go to judges and sometimes it gets front down so for them that is an improvement and thats Something Different often for 4 years. Can i ask you i print some analysts who are skeptical of these laws but theyre kind of all we want to donors in the west and the bill of fact the privileged classes maybe in khartoum more than they will women across the rest of the country key talk a bit about the. I think taken in the broader political context is another win for the transition domestic inaction much chattel if you will and signaling a break away from the is the policy of the last 40 its what this does come in response to the 30th of june protests that. Want to kind of more. Off the level of reform and so you know there are very important gains to be had for example stripping the state Security Operations of the power to tool to that effect or kind of everybody criminalizing s. G. M. And that benefits women i would argue benefit the whole of society because its about what kind of like if you want to live in one that. Have some level of injustice to anyone will surely have a knock on effect and everyone to paraphrase. Most significant so you know apostasy laws which have been weaponized and used against political activists wherever they are and ending you know def the Death Penalty for. Same sex relations as what and to be most affected by that which areas. People such as people speed to have very few social defenses and public flogging of the kind of thing that takes place when the Morality Police of the judge jury and executioner and i think limiting the safety own power to be able to oppress people in that way the very important signal for the people of sudan that actually there is a break away from the oppressive Political Climate of the process. Because we have to remember that syria was brought in in 1000 each of 36 years before the share. Power so this is a longstanding issues only now something to be counted. Top or use or the pyramid. Greene i want to bring you into a conversation q 1st begin because you mr round of bitter duction is by letting the audience know who you are weve talked about the new set of laws and we talk specifically about the ones affected women and some of the more liberal wising ones but i want to pose to you that not all the laws were quite liberalizing the new information law seems to be trying to crack down on maybe journalists to sit can you speak to that place. Ok how on up 000 or by seeing these laws. They are not parliaments out peoples opinion you know if i thought boy and opposition those out any form somebodys going to. Say that you got amendments where i mean stick by the midst of just it. In the absence of. Inviting all the. Laws and then come up with a condition. To be something that happened. About the laws i have. To fear about for a. Lot of online muslims so its all right for moms him to go drink alcohol but theres a problem here because this was just inconsistent with constitution to dietitians of us i took the document as it mentioned that rights and your decision are about because with our present citizenship without this can we mention bears on all religion is no Constitutional Authority answer that now to revise this mystic there is no position up or until now. About the. Women when you say that you know i think that there is not there when he said that this knowledge is that it was simply a parliamentary debate that are sharing agreement that was signed in the minutes 3 and the protest movement before if we can and change coalition needed very clear that in the absence of a parliament because it will see we months at the start of the transition period now in the absence of a parliament the council of ministers and the Supreme Council together make a parliaments and someone is appointed and i think in saying that they it was a parliament there was an arm and maybe its not clear representative because there are most of all societies there but it does fairly make up the parliament for the time being until one is actually flown which would be more offensive since youre with me on that one and i want all. And theres also the you know the fact that when the syria adults 1st came in in 1983 they were done by president ial decree by jack that an american with dictator time and we didnt hear such you know cries of lack of protocol at the time from certain quarters but if those quarters now who are crying foul because the laws are not in accordance with their wishes but what were seeing is that the number of people that are in favor of the goals much more than the numbers who are who have come out. To to criticize. What about the law is still thinking good journalism. What about the new information mass protests. It is a concern josh you know especially for me and the journalists i think the fact that you know anything that you say or write even on social media which is your personal thing it doesnt necessarily after like the views of the media that you were where you can be you can be outright so that you can be persecuted for that and i think that kind of a fact sweden wants each other a question as a journalist whether its accepts what its every day you know people on the streets now when they see it in a very careful about i dont think that was what was intended if you look at the broader the reforms and as a whole the fact that you know the platform of a few steps forward i dont think the intention was of trying to stifle thats freedom but these are going to be the side effects of having even on opening the ways for people to to to to to be able to say to you know to narrow down what they want to stay in it because i will if im an ordinary person has to be very careful about what i actually am very careful life or some place that being said you know it may be and which its quite down on you as they report it or on false information weve seen over the posse at once whether its on you know like political reforms are happening whether its on you know the pandemic or on a virus people will say misinformation so maybe the goal was to try to control that but then its like a double edged sword where youre going to have you know you control political false information that is flowing but you also settling on press freedom or rather freedom of expression because you will will be able to express it equally even though weve seen it just in the last few days the military coming out and saying we are going to be a crime journalist and activist for what they say even if theyre also have a come from so this is a side effect of that law. It were seeing some skepticism of the military in our you tube chat right now this is from Iskander Gabriel the military are still in power and using the protests as an excuse to wriggle elections i want to bring in a video comment from someone in our community this is david who is a professor at the university of nottingham we hear that now. Incidentally the question of what needs to be put in place in order to the station. By a number of. Measures one civilian oversight and increase in civilian pretending all over the military knowing that the military is the fundamental stumbling block to the transition 2nd the importance to the public is the military and the mature back to the barracks in the thirtys also to decrease the economic footprint of the militia within the National Economy and also ensuring that to strengthen constitutional rule of law and strengthen Civil Liberties and broaden the. Human rights so i think everyone is looking at that power sharing agreement that you were talking about have a between the military and Civil Authority im wondering how is the balance of power there i know that in the protest in on june 30th they were saying that the military was in part it in charge of far too much to include some day to day Economic Issues that the military perhaps should be involved in. Yes indeed so the partial requirements that is going to be the 1000000000 that Transitional Government which is basically the sovereign found so we test 6 civilians and 5 minutes every transition period is 39 months since you want to be led by the military its in by the civilians the 1st thing you want to leave and its very now the 11. 00 that is supposed to be in charge of the to the affairs is the executive by harnessing often the hugo was a civilian and its also sort of the majority with the exception obviously of the head of police of the minister of interior who was obviously from the police and that the minister of defense was the chief of the military salute technically speaking at least on paper theyre the also supposed to be in charge the reason why we saw protests offensive to them is the fact that people feel like the military some talk because they see that you know the head of the economic Emergency Economic Committee its been headed by you know the deputy of the Sovereign Council who is a military hes the head of a Paramilitary Force its for forces and on and on but you know so the fact that hes in charge of a full body that is dealing with the current economic crisis inflation of 140 percent theyre not happy about it that is the thing that civilians should be the one for the meeting one peace talks that are right right right now going on between observer on force and the government the Prime Minister when he was appointed and signal before as all of my transition period is to bring peace but general im done talking again is the one who is leading that he has on his board and on forward without him there are members of the Supreme Council and its very our own offensive in this discussion between now and the armed groups and the Transitional Government so people are seeing that you know will also be government improving economy going to ease the military is right now taking the lead and theyre not. Going to get in our you tube audience again here clear them and toss this question to us or someone with my question for the panel is why do new ministers making these amendments while they were voted in by the people yet i think this is a question that khatami to agree with the sentiment of can the response in a clue. Well i think i think its. I think i think the issue is that when people on happy with the congress or government they question it. When they are happy with what its doing they had more so theres a 7 elements of that but i think this. Document made it very clear last year this government was going to have the full until such time as a government could be elected and its role as a child to tional governments is to put in place you know the exact wishes of the people what child thats where their mandate comes from you know historically we havent had much luck with transitions that had even less luck with democrats democratic election so neither of those is a guarantee that everyone will get what they want and i mean is actually a good there i dont know and i think thats a true model that there was some level of you know democratic will being played out rather than one group being targeted because the democratic will were seeing happening here. Its not democratic but i think. Its loving the ground the the rights of the minority to be done im still blah blah blah d all right all international. Agreement. Was on 5 on. I think its its so good the its the amendments and let me go back again to the freedom of expression restriction about the cyber crimes though actually i think im a legal rights activist i thought its a low and its. That its the same 2007 low they have just increased the punishment beauty of this out of it and crimes. You know that knowledge is in a continuous evolution and times are in surprise asian was it to. A loaded into memory Lies International down while there was international down before just one year and its a loss of sudan by. By 45000000000 dollars farai besides that the law is going to realizing this information and in times in formation and see on the other side says this or that debates are right like this i see you on one of my that accountability of. This information and this information you should provide the information and make it available for all so we should make new cyber crimes low. The make it up to date and the omega 3 dont separate the freedom of its a version of a little more. So weve got about 5 minutes in the show lets are a couple big topics i want to move on to coping my team is hitting sudan just like its hitting everywhere else and its really exacerbating some of the Economic Situation is there the war. Has a special fund set up to help countries with their coded responses to 50000000000. 00 fund but as i understand it today and cannot access that money because theyre still listed by the United States state department as a state sponsor of terrorism tell your understanding of it whats the impact of that how important is that. Well 1st of all like you said yes thats not all organic or the virus has its event are. There. Are actions that are the warning from success that its raising providing that whats that i mean people who are all the contagious diseases the question is is why to get it in their homes that are going down well because people dont show up at the scene people and youve seen a rise in the number. Yes it did hit arent seeing that inflation rising 140 percent before the form of virus it was around 1000 or so and so on yes sudan has actually said it very clearly that they are in need of thats help and weve seen a Donor Conference on the scene of the more concious came together or also since they were quote programs launched by the un system governments weve seen them in talks with the. Nazi ones very un and the world bank to get great access to grass now the issue of the sanctions is affecting the country that its in but we also see this Parliament Line is missing and again with the construction that it happened since last but why this is and so thats also as. You know i think the foreign support for ground points like its families that want to incomes wasnt missions that. See now sealing the current on the ground are 1st of all so thats what it was it was full force. And the fact that it was all 41. 00 its only money and now it will. This is for what its actually 43000000 and one out of every 4 is actually in some on the side of its a little farther and since all this is facing some challenges and it does need a from the world bank and international to fund is what theyve been trying to do that will somebody who thinks that. Theyre going to be on track to meet the election deadline 2022 what are we 2 years away from that. Well yes lord be a 3rd of the way and those are the signs of encouraging that that that that but that the line that might be very you know achievable i posit that childish and should be extended but of course there are many and thats. You know parties and mistakes that would have would take issue with that the key is now to maximise i suppose while we dont know how long the transition would last or to maximize on the gains that we can make in the short period of time and in order to do that the government needs people to. Behave book and that sort trench these changes the legal changes that nomic to it to ensure the governing system of the country so that people actually all over the country will be able to feel the changes that have been made. To talk about a minute left here and one talks this year if they do not make the deadline of elections in 2022 are they at risk of being this kind of eritrean model of transition forever. That weve lost the top of a did you get very open mind bo or collude did you hear the question go for. I mean sudan has at times this incense independence and the states and it just has little sold us of governance if you will and so i think what we need to do with how mobile Political Economic you know policies that are able to move away from sudan away from this here to perpetual childish. Action set you know build a state a previous revolution so i think were on the right track on the right track im going to bring the you tube audience in here for the final word this is from doing the delegate says the reforms chart a path to relative secularism open the country to foreigners it also changes the perception of sudan in the International Stage so everyone is really looking on that stage as to what happened and will they make the elections in 2022 a really want to take my guess collude and especially have a morgan from syria who was being with us today from khartoum and think you for joining us here and in our youtube lives. Well see you next. Frank assessments tourism but the income stream is dead in the water whats been the result seen perching go up quite significantly informed opinions there has been a very aggressive political rhetoric that has become very normal in Israeli Society indepth analysis of the days global headlines its time for new policy kids say they cannot all be disintegrating but its great to fish the baby teeth over with all continues inside story on aljazeera. Aljazeera. And. Thats. Whos to blame for the mishandling of the coronavirus time to make in the United States ill be putting the tough questions to trump surrogate Jack Kingston and former Democratic Party official just oconnell in a special edition of had 10. Not even through wave one as a result of a lack of a leadership here i said to my people slow the testing down please that is criminally negligent and i will sit there and i thought it was hilarious head to head on algis iraq reporting in the field means i often get to witness not just new as this is breaking but also history as its unfolding crossing from serbia hungry to read one day i might be covering politics and the next around my covering protests. But whats most important to me its talking to people understanding what they are going through so that i can convey the headlines in the most human way possible. We believe everyone has a story worth hearing. Play an Important Role protecting you ringback. This is al jazeera. Hello im still ramadan youre watching the aljazeera news our live from our headquarters here in doha coming up in the next 60 minutes spying claims and a mysterious fire chinas ordered to shut its Consulate Office in the u. S. City of houston as the diplomatic intensifies. Also the u. K. Settles on a way to turn millions of home