Five independent candidates in Sudan’s Gezira State said that they have withdrawn from the ongoing elections in protest against what they described as “irregularities” at Al Zamalik, Al Mutazah and Matar polling centres in the state.
Al Tayib Al Sheikh, one of the withdrawing candidates, said 5 of 74 candidates decided to drop out of the election after they had observed serious violations by organized forces. He claimed that about 1700 organized forces were seen voting in the centres without any registration.
The five candidates were identified as Al Badwi Yusuf, Mawiya Osman, Anas Ahmed, Bakri Mahmud and Al Tayib Al Shekih.
Meanwhile, voters from some centres in Gezira, Khartoum and Northern states told Radio Tamazuj that ink used to mark fingers washed off easily. The sources said the ink did not stay for long, which can result in a voter voting many times.
Sudan’s National Election Commission Chairman Professor Al-Asam announced on Wednesday that an accountability committee would investigate ‘shortcomings’ reported in Gezira State.
Photo: Police voting in Sudan, 13 April 2015