Yemeni elections strengthen Saleh's rule, Islamic reforms gains in the capital
Yemen, Politics, 4/29/2003

Yemen has advanced an additional step towards enhancing its democracy through the legislative elections which took place on Sunday with the participation of all Yemeni parties.

Preliminary results indicated that the ruling People's General Congress has won these elections by getting between 207 and 217 seats though it had lost several electoral circles in the capital, against 35 to 40 seats for the opposition Yemeni coalition for reforms, which talked, despite "the implicit understandings" between the two sides, about the attempt of the Congress Party to "change results of the elections by force in Sanaa" where "a great progress is scored for the coalition members."

However, these elections, which are held in Yemen for the third time since the Yemeni unity in 1990 are of special importance because of many reasons, the main of which is that the first Arab democratic move following the invasion of Iraq and the collapse of the Iraqi regime and under the American attempt to "rearrange" the region. Besides these elections were held in the presence of Arab and international observers including American, and Europeans. Due to these two factors, the real concentration was on the competition between the ruling party of President Ali Abdullah Saleh and "the Yemeni coalition for reform" of Islamic inclination, which accused its opponents of being the "Taliban" of Yemen and that it paid large sums assets for its election campaign.

The Iraqi issue was present in the statements of the Yemeni president who asserted during his election campaign for many times that he does not want election vote success "results of 99,99%, known in the Arab region, rather would accept 55% and stressed the need of electing the rulers and not "worshipping sculptures," a reference to the cult of personality in politics.

The other characteristics of these elections was that it was of relative security "calm" although three were killed in clashes and several other persons were wounded especially in Taz area. The Yemeni officials showed off that the elections were relatively calm in comparison with the local elections in 2001 when 16 persons were killed.

President Saleh called on his citizens to have April 27 ( the day of the elections ) a day without weapons and to a great extent of this call was observed.

The calm is also attributed to the existence of 175 Arab and international observers as well as the observers of parties who involved themselves in all details. However, this did not prevent some opposition from talking about fraud operations and obstruction of voters accession to balloting boxes. Accusations which were similarly replied to by the Congress Party.

However, the internal battle of the election was also of special importance as the reforms party this time rallied with other five opposition parties, including its historical enemy "the Socialist Party," as the Islamists had refused any participation for it in the authorities after alienating it following the war of 1994.

However, according to preliminary results which leaked yesterday before the end of counting all balloting boxes, the total result will be in the interest of the Congress party, as according to the sources of this party and other sources, this party will win at least 207 seats.

The reform party ( Hizb al-Islah) might win 35 seats against 61 seats in the former council ( parliament ) and the socialist party between 6 to 8 seats and the Baath Party ( Syrian trend) between 2 to three seats, exactly like the Naserite Unionist Party.

The spokesman for the election committee which supervises the elections Abdo Janadi said that " preliminary indicators put the people's congress party in the front." According to partial results obtained from the Congress and al-Islah ( reform) parties, the congress party received 217 seats and followed by the Islah party of 40 seats, the socialist party of 6 seats, the Naserite 3 seats and independents 16 seats.

The turnout rate for these election was high, estimated between 70 to 80 percent, according to sources of the conferences. The elections were waged by 1396 candidates.

Previous Stories:
  Voting starts in Yemen amid tightened security measures   (4/28/2003)
  Atmospheres of tension in Yemen prior to legislative election, Sunday   (4/26/2003)
  Iraq's representative at the AL asks for asylum in Yemen   (4/11/2003)

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