Opposition parties delay election boycott decision - Sudan on holiday for five days beginning tomorrow

Sudan's opposition parties said on Wednesday they would delay a decision on whether to boycott the first multi-party elections in 24 years because of the Muslim Eid holiday and extended voter registration.

The Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM), which is the junior partner in the governing coalition, and 20 opposition parties had threatened to boycott the vote if a package of democratic laws were not passed by Nov. 30, showing a rare united front.

Because of the Muslim Eid al-Adha festival, Sudan will be on holiday for five days beginning on Thursday, making any decision on a boycott by Nov. 30 impossible, the parties said.

Full story: Reuters Wed Nov 25, 2009 11:15am EST (Reporting by Opheera McDoom, editing by Mark Trevelyan) Khartoum newsroom; +249 912 167 378; opheera.mcdoom@thomsonreuters.com