Yemen Observer: http://www.yobserver.com
Posted in:
Local News
Written By: Nasser Arrabyee
Article Date: Apr 29, 2008 - 2:35:22 AM
An American expert criticized the Yemeni opposition parties on Monday for boycotting the elections of the country’s 21 local governors which will take place on May 17.
The boycotting will not be in the interest of the opposition parties, said Peter Dimitroff, Director of the Sana’a-based National Democratic Institute (NDI).
The official also said the would-be elected governors will not be effective in the decentralization process without being given adequate powers.
“We support the governors elections; we want them to have broad powers, but we also understand that this cannot happen over night,” Dimitroff told Yemen Observer.
Late Sunday, President Ali Abdullah Saleh called on all heads and members of local councils throughout the country to convene on May 17 to elect the heads of the country’s 21 provinces despite opposing parties’ boycotts.
This will be Yemen’s first time to elect governors who were previously appointed by President Saleh for presiding over the elected local councils.
The three main opposition parties who form a political coalition called Joint Meeting Parties (JMPs)- the Islamists, Socialists, and Nasserites- decided to boycott the elections because they wanted the governors to be elected directly from the people and not from the electorates who are predominated by the ruling party. The opposition also complains of being ignored when the local authority law was amended.
The amendments of the local authority law, whereby the governors elections will take place, were passed by the overwhelming majority of the ruling party in parliament. The ruling party has 239 seats in the parliament, versus 53 for the three opposition parties.
“We are with the election of the governors directly from the people not from electorates which are predominated by the ruling party,” said Abdul Wahab al-Ansi, Secretary General of the largest Islamist party, Islah, and Chairman of the JMP Supreme Council.
The electorates in the 21 provinces and their districts, including the city of Sana’a, make up about 7800 members. The three boycotting opposition parties make up 25% of those members.
Competition is not expected in these elections after the announcement of the JMPs boycott. The elections may not be held in the southern province of al-Dhale’e where the ruling party lacks the minimum number of members required to hold an election. On May 3, the nomination process will begin and last six days.