KHARTOUM, Sudan (PANA)�Sudan�s ruling National Congress party recently announced its approval of a package of proposals put forward by Libya and Egypt to put an end to the country�s long civil war.

The party�s general secretary, Ibrahim Ahmed Omar, said the party�s central committee had approved the peace proposals contained in a memo Libya and Egypt presented to the government and the opposition.

"We have accepted the proposals and we appeal to all political forces to also accept them," said Mr. Omar in a statement carried by the official Sudan News Agency (SUNA). He said his party had requested Libya and Egypt to go ahead with implementing the peace proposals.

"We have asked Egypt and Libya to take due measures that guarantee implementation of the proposals," Mr. Omar said.

Among the proposals, Libya and Egypt have proposed the formation of an interim coalition government between the ruling party�the National Congress�and all the opposition forces.

Libya and Egypt said the government should also convene a national reconciliation conference to draw up a new constitution that considers citizenship�and not religion�as the basis of legislation.

They proposed that the coalition government should also organize free general elections in the country.

On July 2 the opposition National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which groups most of the northern Sudanese opposition parties with the Sudan People�s Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A), said it had handed its approval of the proposals to Libya and Egypt.

Another major opposition force, the Umma (Nation) Party of former Premier Sadik el Mahdi, said it had also approved the initiative but asked Libya and Egypt to add a chapter to the initiative that guaranteed the right of self-determination for southern Sudanese.