Bashir named as NCP's candidate to run for Sudanese elections in April

Sudanese President Omar Al Bashir was named as the leader of the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) in its conference held Saturday night, which also approved his candidacy for the country's elections slated for next April.
Al-Bashir, 70, who has been in power since a 1989 coup, won by 94 percent after having 4,425 out of 4,606 votes.
Bashir, the only sitting head of state wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC), was re-elected as both leader and presidential candidate of the NCP at a party convention.
According to recent local media reports, Bashir had declared many times that he was not willing to stand again, saying "the party has the final decision." Meanwhile, Sudanese National Elections Commission announced that the first phase of electoral procedures will start next Tuesday and runs for two weeks.
However, some opposing political parties announced that they will boycott the elections, calling for forming a transitional government to be tasked with writing the state's constitution and holding fair and transparent elections.