A referendum on Darfur's administrative status begins today to determine whether the region should keep its five states or reunite as one entity with a semi-autonomous administration.

The poll will continue until April 13.

The vote is expected to maintain the five-state system, which Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir's ruling party says is more efficient but which observers say gives Khartoum greater control over Darfur.

Omar Ali Gemaa, head of the Darfur referendum commission, said nearly 3,500,000 people from Darfur would vote at 1430 polling stations including polling stations inside IDP camps.

He further all arrangements have been completed for voting on Monday, noting that the referendum process will be monitored by the African Union and the Arab League as well as a number of NGOs.

Abdul Qadir Sahnoun, head of the East Darfur referendum commission, said in a Sunday press statement that the commission was ready to start the referendum today.

He noted that they have already completed all the necessary arrangements including transportation of ballot boxes to all centres in the state. Sahnoun explained that the state police officers had trained police personnel in order to secure the referendum.

For their part, various opposition parties including the armed movements said the Darfur referendum is just an open festival aiming at blurring the identity of the people of Darfur.

Ahmed Tugud Lisan, JEM chief negotiator at peace talks, told Radio Tamazuj that the purpose of the referendum is to avoid solving the ongoing conflict in the region, adding the referendum will be isolated locally and internationally.

"The conduct of Darfur referendum at this time is an attempt to avoid the truth, and it is an attempt to escape from the ongoing war," said Tugud.

"Our position is that this referendum will not be popular and lacks legal ground at the moment. So is isolated by the people locally and internationally," he added.

The leading opposition member stressed they are in contact with their supporters in Darfur to boycott the referendum, while accusing the government of tying to obliterate the history of the Darfur region through this plan.

The US State Department on Saturday expressed "serious concern" over this week's referendum in Sudan on the future of Darfur, stating that the vote will not be credible under current rules and conditions.