Khartoum, April 13 (IANS): Presidential and legislative elections began in Sudan on Monday with incumbent President Omar Hassan al-Bashir expected to win again, given the boycott of the polls by main opposition parties.

Elections will last three days, in which 13.3 million people in 18 states are eligible to cast their ballots.

Efe news agency reports indicated that voter turnout was low in the early hours of Monday, a public holiday as declared by the authorities, so voters are expected to go to the polls later in the day.

Polling stations are open from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m. on all three days of the general elections, while the final results will be announced on April 27.

A total of 16 candidates are in the field for Sudan's presidency, but al-Bashir, who came to power in April 1989 leading a military coup, is expcted to win.

There are 1,072 parliamentary candidates, and 2,235 are running for state legislative assembly seats, according to data released by the Electoral Commission.