Sudan President Bashir starts re-election bid

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Sudan leader Omar al-Bashir has been officially nominated to stand for president in April's election by his northern National Congress Party (NCP).

The general election will be the first since the end of a two decade north-south civil war in 2005.

The southern SPLM party is expected to announce its candidate later this week.

The BBC's James Copnall in Khartoum says it is unlikely to be SPLM leader Salva Kiir, who is focused on his job as president of Southern Sudan.

Our correspondent says Mr Kiir will want to remain as southern leader ahead of a referendum on independence for the semi-autonomous region due in a year's time.

More than three-quarters of the population live in the north, so it is likely that a northern candidate will win the election, he says.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8454349.stm