SUDAN: Elections End In Sudan As Polls See Low Voter Turn-Out

Elections in Sudan have come to an end as the polls recorded a general low voter turn-out.

According to former president, Olusegun Obasanjo, who served as head of the African Union team overseeing the poll, turnout stood at between 30-35% which meant only a third of the electorate cast their ballots.

He further said some voters may have felt the result was a forgone conclusion and so abstained from casting a ballot,with polling centres in the capital Khartoum being largely deserted.

BBC reports that Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir is expected to extend his 25 years in power, after opposition parties boycotted the poll.

Voting in the presidential and parliamentary elections started on Monday and was extended until Thursday in a bid to boost turnout and enhance the legitimacy of President Bashir and his National Congress party.

The 71-year-old president, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court on genocide charges, ran virtually unopposed in the race, after the main opposition parties pulled out, claiming the vote would not be free or fair.

Despite the controversies surrounding the polls, party vice president Ibrahim Ghandour said the government was "quite satisfied" with the turnout, while election results are expected on 27th April.