Sudan president offers coalition

Khartoum, 15 April-(ANA)-Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir has asked opposition parties to join his government if he wins landmark elections currently under way.

With polling due to end today, Mr Bashir has extended an offer to other parties to join his ruling National Congress Party (NCP).

Many of Sudan's opposition parties boycotted all or part of the poll, alleging fraud by Mr Bashir's party.

The elections are the first multi-party polls in the country since 1984.

The polls are part of a north-south peace deal which ended two decades of war in 2005, but have been marred by voting irregularities and alleged rigging.

They are widely expected to keep Mr Bashir, who is wanted by the UN for war crimes in Sudan's Darfur region, in power for another five years.(ANA)

FA/ANA/15 April 2010-----------