KHARTOUM, April 1 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Special Envoy to Sudan Scott Gration on Thursday commenced a series of talks with a number of Sudanese opposition leaders in Khartoum, who are to decide whether to participate or boycott the general elections, scheduled for April 11, 2010.

Gration on Thursday held separate meetings with leaders of the three major Sudanese opposition parties, Hassan al-Turabi of the Popular Congress Party, Sadiq al-Mahdi of the National Umma Party and Mohamed Osman al-Merghani of the Democratic Unionist Party.

According to local media, Gration's talks with the opposition leaders focused on the opposition position towards the general elections and their demand for their postponement.

The Sudanese political parties are scheduled to hold a meeting Thursday to decide their position whether to participate in the elections or boycott them, amid predictions that they would opt for boycotting.

The Sudan People's Liberation Movement decided on Wednesday to withdraw its presidential candidate Yassir Arman for the presidential race, and to boycott the elections in the Darfur states.

Sudanese opposition political parties recently submitted a memo to the Presidency and the National Elections Commission (NEC), demanding postponement of the elections until November.

This year's general elections will be the first multi-party elections in Sudan in more than 20 years.