Two international organisations monitoring the elections in Sudan say the controversial polls failed to meet full international standards.

两个负责监视苏丹选举的国际组织称，苏丹颇具争议的选举未能完全达到国际标准。

ballots²" width="226" height="170" src="/upimg/100418/4_055438_1.jpg" />
Election monitors observed the counting of ballots

The EU and the Carter Center, led by former US President Jimmy Carter, said there were significant failings, citing reports of intimidation³（恐吓，威胁） and harassment⁴（骚扰，困扰） .

However, both concluded the polls were a significant step towards democracy.

Results are to be returned on Tuesday, with Omar al-Bashir expected to be reaffirmed as president.

The polls - presidential, parliamentary and regional - were the first multi-party elections since 1986 and part of a north-south deal to end two decades of war.

The complicated ballot¹ was beset⁵ by problems and heavily criticised by the Sudanese opposition⁶ and local observers.

Harassment

Now, two of the biggest observer missions on the ground have concluded that the elections were faulty.

"It is obvious that the elections will fall short of international standards that are expected of advanced democracies... The people's expectations have not been met," former US president Jimmy Carter told a news conference.

The EU observer mission's judgement was similar, concluding there were both irregularities（谬误，不规则） and significant deficiencies.

"Turnout is very high, 60%, but with significant deficiencies," said EU mission chief Veronique de Keyser at a news conference in Khartoum.

"These elections did not reach international standards, not yet."

The irregularities quoted included the late arrival of election material, problems with the voting list, and the harassment of voters.

Observers said the ruling parties in both the south and the north also used their huge advantage in resources to influence the vote.

The EU's team was withdrawn⁷ from Darfur, where a low-level civil war continues, because of fears about safety and whether the monitors could observe freely.

Neither of the observer groups called for a re-vote, but recommended instead that the lessons learned be applied⁸ to next year's key referendum（公民投票） on Southern Sudan's independence.

Mr Carter said he believed the international community would recognise the winners.

The BBC's James Copnall in Khartoum says President Omar al-Bashir is certain to win the presidential election.

Our correspondent says he wants a respectable victory to show the Sudanese people support him after he was indicted⁹ for alleged¹⁰ war crimes in Darfur by the International Criminal Court.