2010-04-18
KHARTOUM, April 17 (Xinhua) -- An independent U.S. observation team on Saturday said Sudan's first multiparty elections since 24 years, which started on April 11, were positive and would contribute to Sudan's internal political situation.

"What we have seen over the course of five days of voting was a positive event that could contribute to stability of the internal political situation in this country and improve its image abroad," said Imam Feisal Abdul Raouf, the chairman of the non-governmental Cordoba Initiative (CI), at a press conference.

He said that the elections were important step towards democratic exercise and a leap foreword that should not be downplayed.

He further agreed with some foreign observers who said the Sudanese elections did not meet international standards, but added that "however, given the challenges posed by the first multiparty elections in 24 years in a large, a developing nation with little electoral experience and recent history of conflict, it would have been, frankly, unrealistic to expect such a result."

He also referred to the logistical and technical difficulties which faced Sudan's elections and said that those difficulties did not mean the elections have not achieved successes.

He said that denying those successes would mean denying the right of the Sudanese people and its achievement.

The CI observation team participated in monitoring the Sudanese elections, and deployed its observers in Khartoum, Juba in southern Sudan, and El Fasher in Darfur region.