Voting has closed in Sudan’s presidential and parliamentary elections.
The process witnessed low voter turnout forcing the government to extend it for one day to enable more people to vote.
The African Union which has observer mission which has given a silent approval to elections in Sudan,has reportedly said that the voter turnout was at 30-35%
President Omar al-Bashir who is facing accusations of human rights abuses is widely expected to win the vote, which the opposition boycotted.
The head of the AU team overseeing the poll in Sudan, Olusegun Obasanjo, said the reason for the low voter turnout may have been the feeling among many that the result was a forgone conclusion with President Bashir expected to win.
Speaking to reporters, Obasanjo added that suppression of human rights in Sudan may have constrained participation.
“I said there are a few things that could have [been] taken that could have made the quality of fairness and freedom to have been enhanced. But I will not say it is absolutely unfair,” he said. “Some measures could have been taken to enhance that.”
The opposition boycotted the polls in Sudan to protest what they say is political repression in the country.
The voting exercise began on Monday and was supposed to close after three days but was extended for one more day to encourage more voters to vote.
Some Sudanese activists on social media have started referring to the low turnout as a sign that many people are against the Bashir’s Government.
The 71-year-old leader first took power in 1989. He is wanted by the International Criminal Court on charges of genocide committed by his forces in Darfur in the early 2000s.
