15 injured as Yemenis go to polls

Violence marred voting in Yemen’s parliamentary elections today, with 15 people being injured and officials closing three polling stations as more than eight million Yemenis headed to the polls.

Despite 100,000 troops being called out to maintain security, gunfights outside polling stations in several Yemeni provinces wounded rival party supporters and a soldier.

More than eight million Yemeni men and women are expected to vote for 1,200 candidates contesting 301 seats in Yemen’s first polls in six years. Twenty-two political parties are being represented, while some candidates are running as independents.

Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s ruling General People’s Congress, which is expected to dominate the voting, is fielding 297 candidates, more than any other party. The Islamic Reform Party and the Socialist Party – Yemen’s two main opposition groups – are putting up 250 and 114 candidates respectively.

There have been no reports of official results coming in, despite many polling booths closing. Election officials have said final results may not be available for up to 48 hours.

The election day violence followed clashes last week involving candidates, party supporters and government forces in which 10 people were injured.

It also followed Saturday’s stern warning by Saleh, who said polls would be called off in any district where voting was “marred by violence.”

“It is unacceptable for any political party or individual to mess with security and break the law. Any party or individual will be held accountable for breaking the law,” Saleh told reporters.

In Taiz province, 170 miles south of the capital, San‘a, 11 people were injured in clashes at polling stations between supporters of different parties competing in the elections.

An election official said three Taiz area polling stations were closed following several shooting incidents.

In Amran, 35 miles north of San‘a, a soldier and a man were injured during another shootout. Two others were injured in Dhamar, some 62 miles south of the capital.

The Interior Ministry said Saturday it would prosecute anyone found carrying a weapon inside polling stations or buildings where election-related activities take place.

Observers say despite strong challenges expected from the Islamic Reform Party and the Socialists, Saleh’s Congress would likely win the most seats. The ruling party uses public funds to back its own representatives, mostly tribal leaders who enjoy wide support across this country.

Saleh disputed those claims, saying that it was “the eight million voters who decide the outcome.

The GPC depends on donations from its supporters. Public funds were not used,” he said.

After casting his vote in the capital, Saleh said: “We want all political powers to be represented under the parliament’s dome. We want all the parties to have a chance and we don’t want a 99.9% majority.”

The polls are being supervised by 175 international observers and thousands of Yemeni monitors.

The Islamic Reform Party – the second-largest in the departing parliament - said in a statement last week police arrested 28 of its supporters. Security officials confirmed arrests were made for election law violations, but did not say how many people were detained.