(AA) – The U.S., UK and Norway on Monday blamed Sudan for not being able to create a fair election environment in the country.
The troika “regret the government of Sudan’s failure to create a free, fair, and conducive elections environment,” according to a statement. “Restrictions on political rights and freedoms, counter to the rights enshrined in the Sudanese constitution, the lack of a credible national dialogue, and the continuation of armed conflict in Sudan’s peripheries, are among the reasons for the reported low participation and very low voter turnout.”
Sudan’s election, which started last week Monday, was initially scheduled to end Wednesday, but the National Elections Commission, or NEC, extended the vote for an additional day due to low turnout on the first three days.
While opposition parties boycotted the vote, about 40 percent of eligible voters cast ballots in the country’s presidential elections.
Several polling stations were closed during the elections after they were attacked and looted, said the NEC.
The U.S., UK and Norway also condemned violence during the election period.
Some 13 million Sudanese are eligible to vote in the polls in which Omar al-Bashir, who has ruled the country for more than 25 years, is expected to win.
Final poll results will be announced April 27, according to the NEC.
