Addis Ababa (Earth Times) - Electoral officials in Sudan on Friday began counting votes cast during a five-day election marred by huge logistical problems and allegations of vote-rigging.
The first multi-party elections since 1986 are supposed to usher in a new era of democracy in Sudan, which is recovering from a decades-long civil war between the north and south, as well as conflict in the western province of Darfur.
However, major opposition parties boycotted the presidential, parliamentary and municipal elections, and massive logistical problems prevented many people from voting.
Sudan's ruling party, in an apparent attempt to appease the opposition parties, said late Wednesday it would invite opposition parties into a coalition government.
The elections, which began Sunday, had to be extended by two days through Thursday due to problems with ballot deliveries and voter registration.
Results are due on Tuesday.
The candidates of the Umma party and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) - the main party in the autonomous Southern Sudan - have pulled out of the presidential poll, although the SPLM contested elections in the south.
The opposition alleged that the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) were planning to rig the poll and said they were worried about security in Darfur.
Khartoum is keen to legitimize President al-Bashir, who seized power in a bloodless 1989 coup and is wanted by the International Criminal Court for alleged crimes against humanity in Darfur, analysts say.
Despite the problems, the African Union and United Nations said there were no major problems and praised the generally peaceful nature of the vote.
The only trouble came Thursday, when the NCP claimed that five of its members had been shot dead by men dressed in military uniforms in Southern Sudan's Western Bahr El Ghazel State.
Foreign election observers are due to release their reports on the credibility of the elections in the coming days.
The aftermath of the election could impact on a January 2011 referendum on independence for Southern Sudan, which was agreed upon in the 2005 peace deal that ended the north-south war.
Al-Bashir threatened to cancel the referendum should the SPLM boycott the elections. Analysts and SPLM officials have warned that even a delay could lead to violence.
The first multi-party elections since 1986 are supposed to usher in a new era of democracy in Sudan, which is recovering from a decades-long civil war between the north and south, as well as conflict in the western province of Darfur.
However, major opposition parties boycotted the presidential, parliamentary and municipal elections, and massive logistical problems prevented many people from voting.
Sudan's ruling party, in an apparent attempt to appease the opposition parties, said late Wednesday it would invite opposition parties into a coalition government.
The elections, which began Sunday, had to be extended by two days through Thursday due to problems with ballot deliveries and voter registration.
Results are due on Tuesday.
The candidates of the Umma party and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) - the main party in the autonomous Southern Sudan - have pulled out of the presidential poll, although the SPLM contested elections in the south.
The opposition alleged that the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) were planning to rig the poll and said they were worried about security in Darfur.
Khartoum is keen to legitimize President al-Bashir, who seized power in a bloodless 1989 coup and is wanted by the International Criminal Court for alleged crimes against humanity in Darfur, analysts say.
Despite the problems, the African Union and United Nations said there were no major problems and praised the generally peaceful nature of the vote.
The only trouble came Thursday, when the NCP claimed that five of its members had been shot dead by men dressed in military uniforms in Southern Sudan's Western Bahr El Ghazel State.
Foreign election observers are due to release their reports on the credibility of the elections in the coming days.
The aftermath of the election could impact on a January 2011 referendum on independence for Southern Sudan, which was agreed upon in the 2005 peace deal that ended the north-south war.
Al-Bashir threatened to cancel the referendum should the SPLM boycott the elections. Analysts and SPLM officials have warned that even a delay could lead to violence.
