As Sudan’s election is coming near, nearly 12 presidential candidates are standing against Omar al Bashir, the current president. 
The campaigning started on Saturday, such kind of a multi- party poll is visible now, it was last seen in 1986.

Omar al Bashir took presidency in Sudan in the year 1989, with the help of several Muslim groups. Sudan also happens to be the largest country in Africa. The chances of southern Sudan gaining independence is expected in the year 2011.

After much wait,this elections being canceled twice, is going to start on April 11. It will include regional as  well as legislative polls.

Some presidential candidates that hold a strong position are Fatima Ahmed Abdelmahmud, who is the first woman to stand for presidency and Sadiq al Mahdi, who was the two time former prime minister who al Bashir defeated.

The present Sudan’s president is facing an international arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court on charges of crimes done by him against humanity in the western Darfur region in Sudan.

According to United Nation, several thousands of people have died and the death toll went upto 300,000 and the number of people who were left homeless were, 2.7 million. This happened because the ethnic minority rebels in Durfur stood against the Arab dominated Khartoum government in 2003.

The person who is challenging al Bashir and has high chances of winning the elections is Yasser Arman, a secular Muslim from north Sudan. He is representing the former rebel Sudan’s
People Liberation Movement and al Mahdi the former prime minister from the Ummah Party.

Al Mahdi who is 74 is getting majority support is from north sudan province where as Arman is getting strong support from south sudan.

But what the opposition party is fearing is that Al Bashir can use security forces and power to win over the elections. All opposition rallies have been banned but some are trying to campaign in the twin cities of Khartoum.

A civil war that lasted for 22 years between the dominating muslims Arabs in the north with Non Muslim, non Arabs in the south, left Sudan devastated. A peace agreement was signed in the year 2005 between them.

The condition in the remote areas of Sudan is very poor with lack of basic food and water supplies.

[Sources: Al Jazeera]