Yemen Holds One-Candidate Presidential Election
By Ria Novosti
Yemen will hold on Tuesday presidential elections marred by political uncertainty and spreading anarchy in the volatile Arab nation.
Yemeni Vice President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, who is the sole candidate in Tuesday’s elections, is facing a formidable task of setting up a national dialogue on a new political system and drafting a new constitution in the next two years.
Tuesday’s vote is part of a deal brokered by the Gulf Cooperation Council and backed by the West in a move to oust President Ali Abdullah Saleh following year-long public protests against his 33-year rule.
Though Saleh has stepped down in exchange for immunity from prosecution for him and his family, the clashes in Yemen have not stopped.
The security situation in the country is aggravated by the presence of al-Qaeda militants in Yemen’s restive south, a brewing Shi’ite Muslim revolt in the north and an apparent split in the military.
According to local media, at least three polling stations in the south of Yemen were attacked by gunmen on the eve of the election, casting another shadow on hopes for a smooth transition to a democratic rule in the country.
