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Election crisis in Yemen over Iraq
By Nabil Sultan
SANA'A -
Yemen is looking outside to neighboring Iraq as it
prepares for general elections next month. As a result,
Iraq and the US rather than domestic issues dominate the
pre-election debate, and even raise the question of
whether the polls will be held at all.
The
ruling Peoples General Congress opposes an attack on
Iraq, but supports the US in its war on terror. The
government speaks the language of demonstrators taking
to the streets against a war on Iraq, but is working
also to secure US interests in the region.
The
ruling party hopes to keep up the policy, and stay in
government. It has a majority of 187 in the 301-seat
parliament. "We will win this time with more seats than
in 1997," says Abdul Karim al-Iryani, advisor to
President Ali Abdallah Saleh, and former prime minister.
The elections are due April on 27.
But the
ruling party is up against an opposition alliance of the
Islah Party, the Yemeni Socialist Party, the Nasserite
Unionist organization and five others. These parties
have been strongly critical of Yemeni government support
to the US.
Opposition leaders say that
government support to the US has led to the arrest of
one al-Moayyed, 58, and his secretary in Germany.
Al-Moayyed has been working for charities, and he is no
terrorist, they say. Such government backing to the US
could affect electoral support to the government - but
much of this will depend on what happens over Iraq.
The Iraq issue is not seen as entirely separate
from the pro-US stand of the government over terrorism.
The opposition has the backing of religious leaders who
have been calling on the government to cut relations
with the US and Britain. These leaders do not draw a
distinction between support to the US on one issue and
opposing them on another.
The British embassy in
Sana'a and the consulate in Aden have been closed from
March 1. The US embassy is heavily protected and looks
more like an army camp than an embassy. Anger against
Americans is high. Opposition parties have expressed
great anxiety over the presence of US troops in the
region. Three US missionaries were killed by a gunman in
December, and another was saved just in time from an
attack last month.
"A country like Yemen is
undoubtedly important to the US because some terrorist
suspects are still at large," analyst Majid Abdul Aziz
told IPS. "But if war breaks out in Iraq, it will be
very difficult for the US to continue its war on terror
here."
An analyst says that the government is
backing the demonstrations against war to play down its
pro-US position over other issues. "The demonstrations
in Yemeni cities have been organized by government in an
electoral propaganda to gain the sympathy of people in
the forthcoming elections," says Abdul Bari Taher. "They
are being organized with government consent."
The government has now proposed a new law on
controlling demonstrations. Opposition parties see this
as an attempt to direct demonstrations to the advantage
of the ruling party. They are demanding freedom for
people to hold demonstrations in line with their
political beliefs. "Democracy will be in danger if this
law is passed," lawyer Ahmed Aqlan told IPS.
Given the present uncertainty, doubts have been
raised whether elections will be held at all. Hassan
Maki, also a former prime minister and now advisor to
President Saleh, says that holding the elections should
depend on what happens in the next few days over Iraq.
Opposition leaders are divided over this.
Chairman of the Islah Shura Council Abdul Majeed
Al-Zindani says "elections should not be held in view of
the difficult situation in the region". But Islah party
secretary-general Mohammad al-Yadoomi says "there is no
justification for delaying elections, because there
would be a war in Iraq, not in Yemen".
The
Yemeni Socialist Party has rejected the proposal to put
off elections. "A delay will lead to an internal
political crisis, and leave a constitutional vacuum in
the country," Mohammed Saeed from the party told IPS.
Elections have been a heated issue ever since
the first preparations began. There were several clashes
during registration of voters in October last year. Most
of the clashes in places like Ibb, Haja, Saada, Jawf and
Mareb arose over political and party-related issues.
(Inter Press Service)
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