KHARTOUM, April 9 (Xinhua) -- Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter Friday admitted that Sudan's upcoming general elections are facing challenges.

"It is a very challenging election, because Sudan has not held elections since 1986," Carter told reporters following a meeting with the National Elections Commission (NEC) Friday.

However, Carter said the NEC is doing its utmost to make the elections a success.

"The NEC's (officials) have done their best under these circumstances," he said.

NEC Deputy Chairman, Abdalla Ahmed Abdalla, for his part, affirmed that there was a full coordination between the NEC and the Carter Center to observe the elections.

The U.S.-based Carter Center, which was founded by Jimmy Carter, sent 65 observers to monitor the general elections in Sudan besides the EU observation team of 130 observers.

Multi-party elections, the first of its kind in more than 20 years, are scheduled to be held in Sudan on April 11.