NDI urges competitive elections or delay

The American run National Democratic Institute (NDI) has advised the Yemeni government to delay April 2009’s parliamentary elections if political parties are not able to reach an agreement over procedures for the election.

The ruling party as well as the three main opposition parties have not yet reached an agreement concerning the formation of a Supreme Committee to administer the elections.

“If the parties are unable to reach consensus and resolve the current impasse in a timely manner, then the government of Yemen should be open to considering a delay of the elections, in accordance with Yemen law and regulations,” said the NDI in a statement issued in Washington DC and distributed to media in Sana’a late Thursday.

The ruling party says the elections will take place on time in April 2009, but the opposition parties say all steps being taken in preparation for the elections are illegal, and they have called on their supporters not to participate.

“The current tensions and challenges surrounding voter registration do not bode well for the process going forward. Rather, they underscore the needs for the parties to come together to seek a compromise so the elections can proceed as smoothly as possible and contribute positively to Yemen’s democratic development,” Said Les Campbell,  Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa at NDI in the same statement. 

Mr. Campbell also said, “Yemen has been grappling with the challenges of making democratic progress over the last dozen years. If it takes a bit more time to establish consensus rules and administration for the 2009 elections, it is worth taking that time, consistent with Yemeni law, so that these elections can be seen as positive step and not a setback”.

Politicians from both the opposition and ruling party declined to immediately comment on statements from the NDI when contacted Thursday by the Yemen Observer. 

The NDI also advised all political parties to “work collaboratively to reach a mutually agreeable resolution to the current impasse”, and “to honor the spirit of prior agreements and not become entrenched in partisan demands that might undermine the electoral process.” 

Without broad agreement on the rules and procedures governing the elections, Yemen could experience a political setback with unfortunate consequences for all Yemenis, the NDI warned.

It also called all parties in Yemen to work together to overcome the current impasse over electoral law and the administration of the election to ensure that the people of Yemen can experience well-managed and representative multi-party elections in 2009. 

The 2009 parliamentary elections should be conducted in a manner continuing the many positive steps taken during the 2006 presidential and local elections. However, the Institute is concerned that current political tensions have made reaching a consensus on crucial election issues difficult. Without broad agreement on the rules and procedures governing the elections, Yemen could experience a political setback with unfortunate consequences for all Yemenis. 

The NDI has been a partner in Yemen’s democratic development since 1993. 

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