SANAA, 22 April 2003 — Yemen’s electoral committee announced yesterday it had suspended polling in a constituency north of the capital because of violence marring the campaign for legislative elections due to take place on April 27.
The ruling General People’s Congress said the move against the Omran constituency, 60 km from Sanaa, was taken after a convoy of Omran Governor Taha Hajer came under an “armed attack” last Wednesday from Sadok Abdullah Al-Ahmar, rival candidate for the Islamic opposition Al-Islah.
The attack was a “crime and against the electoral code,” the committee said in reference to a 32-point “code of honor” that all 22 political parties signed with the aim of stopping violence during the elections.
President Ali Abdullah Saleh has ordered an investigation into the attack after the Omran governor presented his resignation in protest, according to official sources.
The only republic in the Arabian Peninsula, Yemen has an elected Parliament of 301 members with Al-Islah leader Abdullah Al-Ahmar as speaker.
Almost 1,550 candidates will contest next Sunday’s polls, the third since Yemen was unified on May 22, 1990.
Meanwhile, Kuwait is to hold elections for its 50-seat Parliament on July 5, news reports said on Sunday.
Deputy Premier and Minister of State for Cabinet and Parliamentary Affairs Muhammad Al-Sharer said the government and the National Assembly jointly agreed on the election date after a meeting on Saturday with Parliament Speaker Jassem Al-Khorafi.
Candidate registration would be on June 2 through June 11, Al-Sharer was quoted by Al-Anba newspaper as saying.
