Hilal calls for participation of all voters in today’s election

Abdul-Qader Hilal

The opposition is practicing its legal rights in boycotting the governors elections, but is not successful in the political practice that requires positive participation that opposition could straighten any mistakes that may occur in the elections, said Abdul-Qader Hilal, Minister of Local Administration. 

Opposition in 18 governorates has only what equals less than 5 percent percent of votes and 20 percent the remaining two governorates and according to Hilal, the opposition does not want to embarrass itself.

“To those who complain that the ruling party is dominant in these elections, I remind them that we have many countries like UK where the ruling party-labor party- was in power for forty years, that’s political pluralism,” said Hilal. 

Hilal said that the aftermath of governors’ elections will be expanding powers and jurisdictions of local governance, training and qualifying personnel of local members, building capacities, giving a developing, monitoring and service dimensions for the work of local councils. 

“I would like to tell all people at large that these elections are the first and we will hear all comments and criticism on it and will consider all this to avoid them in the future. The most important is that this is a founding step that has given the right to elect governors to people,” said Hilal.
 
Hilal also sent a message to the media hailing all media that agrees and disagrees and asking for accuracy from all media outlets.  

Hilal said that it is useless to talk about local governance with larger powers if a clear vision in drawing policies and clear goals administrative units in local councils to run itself independently and respond to the needs of the local citizens in all sort of services. 

To have a wider popular participation from citizens and all these goals to be achieved calls for wider power for the Local Administration Ministry. In the meantime, they are working to do legal and constitutional amendments to help achieve goals of local governance and enhance decentralized rule and are taking administrative and financial procedures to translate the powers that will enable the Ministry do its tasks and functions, says Hilal. 

In part of the expansion of powers Hilal is trying for, the Ministry has approved over 260 observers to watch over the upcoming governors’ elections on May 17. The observers are represented by local and international organizations and received training and issued IDs to help make the election process easier and more transparent.  

Observers have already started on much of their tasks in many centers that run and administer the electoral processes in different governorates. From the very beginning of preparation for elections, the Ministry, along with its main supervisory committee, is keen to establish the principal of transparency throughout the process. To keep this commitment, election officials are determined to use legal guarantees, judicial supervision, or even local and international observation, said Akrm al-Sheikh, Deputy Minister of Local Administration Ministry  

Al-Sheikh added that certain and specific places are to be assigned for observers in halls during balloting to guarantee their ability to observe and watch the process easily and clearly. This will help in avoiding any confusing that may hinder their tasks of work of committees. He said that the process is going smoothly due to the early and sufficient preparations and organization done by the Ministry.  

With these steps taken, achievements of the desired goals of this democratic step can be realized that contributes to an elevation in the experience of this wide popular participation.  

Al-Sheikh added that this experience is to will help grow and develop local societies in governorates and throughout the whole country. 

Hilal continued stating that there will be transporting powers, authorities and budgets this year to local governance. However, these powers and budgets will be a waste of time and money if it does not have qualified personnel. They are also trying to establish a center of Local Authority for Research and Studies that will coordinate and cooperate with universities in Yemen to prepare training materials for local members and its executive unit. This also can not succeed with raising public awareness. 

The name of The Ministry of Local Administration is being now reconsidered, in additions to its tasks and new powers in legislation, issuing laws, drawing policies, monitoring and executing projects that are national in nature. This calls for a strategic vision. At the end of this year the Ministry will issue the national strategy of local governance that is being conducted by many local and foreign experts besides nine from the donors country.   With regard to the name of the ministry since they are working towards local development it may be renamed the Local Development Ministry, or the Ministry of Local Governance or may be the two together as the Ministry of Local Development and Governance.  

Whether governors are elected by direct election or via elected authority, the most important of this is that to achieve the goals of development. Concerning the tasks and powers of secretary general of local councils and the governor and if there is any conflicting points between the two, Hilal said that according to the law there is no conflict at all but in practice and sometimes lack of experience but this will improve from a year to another and local councils are heading towards organizational work. 

The law has all guarantees for the transparency of the elections that will be held today. Freedom to run for elections. We have 193 applications, from this after the screening, those who have all the necessary requirements are 37. All candidates can attend on the day of ballot and the sorting of votes, himself or one of his representatives, local and foreign organizations will have rights to observe the whole process. During the applications, several challenges were filed. 

There are two sorts of observation and monitoring systems on the governor-to-be. One is from the public and the other from the entire local council of the central authority. If any governor found to violate any tasks of his, the local authority that elected him can fire him or in case of any constitutional breach from a governor.     

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