Sudan President Omar Hassan al-Bashir has been announced the winner of the nation's first multi-party vote in 24 years.

Opposition parties have rejected the results, which they say were rigged, but all eyes likely now focus on a southern independence referendum eight months away. Sudan's election commission says Mr.

Bashir won 68 percent of the nation's votes.

Under electoral law, he needed to surpass 50 percent in order to avoid a run-off vote against his nearest competitor.
Yasir Arman, the northern secular Muslim slated by the southern-based Sudan People's Liberation Movement to challenge Mr. Bashir, came in second with 22 percent, most of which came from the southern states.

His strong showing was made despite announcing his withdrawal from the race days before polling began, citing electoral fraud.

In Southern Sudan, the president of the semi-autonomous region and head of the SPLM, Salva Kiir, retained his seat with 92 percent of the votes from the region. Some international observers, such as the Atlanta-based The Carter Center, have said the election will fall short of international standards.

Northern opposition groups widely boycotted the elections, citing what they called an unfair campaign environment and allegations of vote rigging.

Following the five days of chaotic polling, the charges of vote rigging have only escalated from the opposition forces. But with the results final, the international community has indicated its efforts will be focused on securing the final implementation of a 2005 peace deal signed between Bashir's government and the southern SPLM rebels.

The accord includes a January referendum in the South on whether to remain part of the country or to secede and form its own state. The lead-up to the referendum is contentious, with a number of outstanding issues analysts warn could derail the peace process.

With no major change in the leadership of either of the two peace parties, these negotiations are expected to begin hitting their final sprint, and logistical planning for the referendum starts almost immediately.

The main political party in Sudan's southern region – the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) – has decided to widen its planned boycott of next week’s national elections.

The SPLM announced Tuesday it will not participate in any legislative or local elections in the north of the country.

Ezekiel Lol Gatkuoth, head of the Southern Sudan mission to the United States said the SPLM decision is based on concerns for electoral irregularities.

“The SPLM’s northern sector, they have decided that since Yasir Arman is withdrawing for the same irregularities and the problems that are facing the electoral process, they have concluded the same thing will apply to other positions. So the SPLM northern sector they have decided they are going to boycott the elections,” he said.

Gatkuoth said the SPLM southern sector has decided to participate in the elections in southern Sudan line with the Comprehensive Peace Accord (CPA).

“It is very important for the world to know that CPA was also meant to address the grievances of the people of southern Sudan. That’s in 2011 we are going to go for a referendum. And then in that referendum we will decide if we are going to be part of Sudan or we are seceding,” Gatkuoth said.

SPLM secretary general Pagan Amum told reporters Tuesday the SPLM will still participate in local elections in the south and in the border states of South Kordofan and Blue Nile.

Gatkuoth said the decision is also in line with the CPA.

“It is very important for you to know that the CPA states that the elected parliament of the two states in Northern Kordofan and Southern Blue Nile they will be the ones to actually decide the future of the two states through a popular consultation, the same as having elections in the south,” Gatkuoth said.

He said southern Sudan will take part in the national elections scheduled for April 11-13) and predicted that President Salva Kiir of the autonomous southern Sudan will be re-elected.

“Yes, we are going to take part in the elections. From the president of the south to the members of parliament, SPLM is going to win in the south and President Salva (Kiir) will be re-elected as the people’s president of the south,” Gatkuoth said.

A recent report on disarmament indicates a security vacuum exists in parts of southern Sudan that could plague the region as it approaches the 2011 referendum.

As voting draws to a close in Sudan's first multiparty elections in more than 24 years, the prospect of an independent southern Sudan draws closer.

The elections are the last major step in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement before a 2011 referendum in the south to determine whether it remains part of Sudan or forms its own state.

The peace agreement, which was signed in 2005, ended more than 20 years of fighting between Sudan's government and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement.

Many hope that the south will be able to tap into its vast natural resources, which include oil, to drive development in the region.

But a recent Issue Brief released by the Geneva-based Sudan Human Security Baseline Assessment project says that southern Sudan must continue to disarm and provide badly needed resources to its security forces if it is to ensure stability.

The Issue Brief is based on the results of a 2009 survey of 2,400 households in southeastern Sudan.

Disarmament and securtiy

According to the brief, disarmament remains one of the south's most pressing concerns. The government of southern Sudan has been attempting to disarm the region since the signing of the peace agreement, but the process has been difficult.

Almost 40 percent of the households surveyed admitted to owning firearms. The survey indicated doubts about the government's ability to provide security have hampered the disarmament initiative.

The survey found only 27 percent of the respondents relied on the police force for protection in the region. The majority instead relied upon traditional leaders for safety.

Security consultant and author of the report Irina Mozel says this attitude stems from a lack of government support for the police of southern Sudan.

"The preparation for elections has enhanced some of the means and resources available, especially for the police," said Mozel. "But there are huge challenges, which still remain with regard to the police. Specifically because both donors and the government have not focused enough on building up a strong police force, which has led to the current security vacuum."

Much of the violence in the surveyed region stems from resource scarcity. Cattle theft and the ensuing cycles of revenge are a constant cause of unrest in Eastern Equatoria.

The report urges the government of southern Sudan to address the causes of violence in the region through community engagement. According to the Issue Brief, the cooperation of traditional community leaders with police can help to ensure peace in the region.

If the south achieves independence in 2011, more resources and attention can potentially be focused on security in states like Eastern Equatoria. But Mozel says that international assistance will be needed in the interim as the buildup of an effective police force could take up to 10 years.