[JURIST] The Sudanese parliament Monday passed a long-anticipated electoral law that is expected to ease the country's transition to democracy. The law establishes that 60 percent of parliamentary seats will be chosen by majority voting, while the remaining 40 percent will be filled by a proportional representation of political parties. Of the proportional representation seats, 25 percent will be reserved for women. Critics, including the National Democratic Alliance [GlobalSecurity backgrounder], argued that the draft law would marginalize some political groups. AFP has more. The Sudan Tribune has local coverage.

Under the country's 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement [PDF text; UN press release], Sudan is scheduled to hold its first democratic elections by 2009. Following the adoption of a peace treaty [BBC report], the approval of a new constitution, and the installation of a new government, Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir lifted the country's state of emergency [JURIST reports], except in Darfur and a region on the eastern border.