Preparing for 2009 Parliamentary Elections; High Ranking Officials Resign Government Posts

Informed sources told the Yemen Post that 15 high ranking officials have submitted their resignation from their posts in preparations for their candidacy for the parliamentary elections due to be conducted in April 2009.

Similarly, dozens of executive authority officials including governors, directors of public corporations and military and security leaderships have submitted their resignations to the respective authorities pursuant to the elections law.

The sources revealed that the Minister of Youth and Sports Hamoud Ubad and the Deputy Minister of Youth Ahmed Al-Oushari as well as the Minister of Education Abdul Salam Al-Jawfi and State Minister for Parliament and Shoura Councils's Affairs are among those who have already submitted their resignations.

Preparations for Elections Continue

Despite the boycott of opposition represented by Joint Meeting Parties (JMP), the preparations for the upcoming parliamentary elections are ongoing by the Supreme Commission for Elections and Referendum (SCER) and it has received so far requests for deleting 85,220 names including 67,420 male voters and 17,800 female voters.

Head of Technical Affairs and Planning at SCER noted that the primary electoral committees have decided to delete 33,220 voters (26,397 male voters and 6,816 female voters) from elections register. 

It is noteworthy that over 1.1 million voters were added to electoral registers during the registration phase conducted over the period November 12-25.

Special sources told the Post that negotiations between the ruling party, the General People Congress (GPC) and JMP are ongoing despite the claims of stalled talks between both sides.