Before the reports of the coup plot, the Sudanese regime's facade of unity was shaken in early November during the National Conference of the Islamic Movement, a meeting that takes place every four years in Khartoum. The meeting is intended to serve as a forum for policy discussion between the regime and various representatives of the Sudanese public. This year, the opposition Popular Congress Party boycotted the conference and called for a change in national leadership. Some who attended the forum used it to criticize the regime. In the past, criticism of al Bashir's government was contained to the Popular Congress Party, but it has now expanded to include other groups and individuals, even those who had been close to al Bashir and played a critical role in supporting his regime.