Five days of Elections in Sudan Over

A Sudanese electoral employee watches over filled ballot boxes at a polling station in Khartoum on April 15. Sudanese had one last day to cast ballots as landmark elections wrapped up, but concerns over tensions increased as some candidates alleged violations in some areas. (PATRICK BAZ Patrick Baz/AFP/Getty Images)

After a two-day extension, the historic five-day presidential, parliamentary and local elections in Sudan closed on Thursday. Results are expected to be finalized by the weekend. Voter turnout was 60 percent in the first multiparty elections in 24 years.

The occasion was somewhat soured by the fact that the poll was boycotted by opposition parties accusing the ruling NCP of fraud thus giving incumbent President Omar-al-Bashir a winning edge. The multiparty election is considered to be a step toward a referendum for southern independence next year. The biggest opposition party SLMP, participated only in the southern region.

The vote extension was granted mainly because people were having trouble finding their names on the voter’s list. Some election irregularities were reported including the disappearance of four U.N. soldiers in Darfur and the shooting deaths of a handful of NCP supporters.