3 days of voting kicks off in Sudan’s elections despite opposition calls for delay

Voting begins in Sudan’s historic elections

KHARTOUM, Sudan — Voting has kicked off in Sudan’s first competitive elections in nearly a quarter century despite repeated opposition calls to delay the vote.

Voters began assembling at polling stations in the capital Khartoum soon after they opened Sunday.

The elections, which will run through Tuesday, are an essential part of a 2005 peace deal that ended the north-south war that killed 2 million people over 21 years.

The elections were designed to provide an elected government to prepare a referendum over southern independence next year.

Some 16 million people will vote for over 14,000 candidates for everything from president to local councils.

A number of opposition parties have boycotted the elections citing a rigged system biased towards the ruling party.