Sudan opposition parties withdraw

Sudan's main opposition parties have withdrawn from the upcoming presidential elections. The move could wreck the looming vote and damage a faltering peace process.

Sudan's major opposition parties threatened a total boycott of the country's first multiparty elections, citing the ongoing Darfur crisis and other irregularities.

Farouq Abu Eissa, Opposition Parties Spokesman, said, "The political parties met to reach a complete consensus. The position at the end is that we decided to boycott the elections."

Several candidates had indicated their boycott earlier.

Sudan's Democratic Unionist Party head Mohammed Osman al-Mirghani speaks during a press conference in Khartoum. (AFP/Ashraf Shazly)