South Sudan News Agency

March 31, 2010 (Juba) -- Yasir Arman, the SPLM’s candidate for presidency against the incumbent, al-Bashir, quits Sudan presidential race due to what his party call “electoral irregularities.” The move comes in less than two weeks after 17 opposition parties questioned the handling of the elections by the NCP; which they believe dragged its feet on implementation of the democratic process. They also accused the NCP of blocking some key measures which are required by the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) in the upcoming elections.

The two peace partners have recently held secret meetings to try to iron out their differences but with little success.

Once Observer, who spoke to the SSNA on condition of anonymity said that “The SPLM has good case to present to the world because what we have seen in recent weeks is a clear sign of delaying tactics by the NCP. This is clearly an act of double standards”, he added.

The decision to boycott the presidential race by the SPLM was welcome with mix reactions through out Sudan—particularly in the semi-autonomous region.

Sudan is due to conduct its first multi-party elections in 24 years which is scheduled for April 11-13, 2010. But the decision by the SPLM to withdrawal its presidential candidate casts doubt on whether or not the two main partners to the CPA can still live up to their promises.