The Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), signed in 2005 by the incumbent National Congress Party (NCP) and the
rebel Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), brought to an end more than two decades of civil war in Sudan.
The holding of national elections is a key stipulation of the CPA. The elections, involving multiple levels executive and
legislative elections, will determine the distribution of power in Sudan prior to the 2011 referendum on southern
secession, another key provision of the CPA. After more than two decades of authoritarian rule in Sudan, it was hoped
that the elections would be the catalyst for internal democratic change; bringing greater political representation to
the marginalized peripheries, thus demonstrating the possibility of a democratic system in a unified Sudan. However,
after delays, disputes and accusations of malpractice, the recent election results suggest that Sudan is now a two-
party authoritarian state, on the brink of separation.