Tristan McConnell
Voters have been given an extra two days to cast ballots in Sudan’s first multiparty election in a generation.
The move came after Jimmy Carter, the former US President who is acting as an observer, called for an extension to ensure that all eligible voters were able to take part, given slow voting and logistical problems.
“There is a two-day extension throughout the whole country,” said Jalal Mohamed Ahmed, secretary-general of the National Elections Commission (NEC). The polls will now close on Thursday.
During a visit to the southern city of Juba, the head of the Carter Centre group of election monitors warned of “serious problems” with the polls including voters’ names missing from registers and ballot papers sent to the wrong stations.
He said the election results would only be legitimate if these mistakes were corrected.
The NEC, responsible for administering Sudan’s first competitive vote in 24 years, admitted that there had been some “normal technical problems”.
Times Online
