2006 presidential candidate profiles [Archives:2006/979/Reportage]
Ali Abdullah Saleh
– Born 1942 (age 64) in Beit Al-Ahmar village in Sana'a governorate's Sanhan district.
– Joined the armed forces in 1958.
– A member of the member Interim Presidential Council, he was elected military commander of Taiz governorate on June 24, 1978. He also was appointed Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces.
– Elected General People's Congress (GPC) secretary-general on Aug. 30, 1982
– Elected president of the Yemen Arab Republic (YAR) on Monday, July 17, 1987, with a 75-vote majority from members of the People's Assembly (established by Al-Ghashmi as an alternative to Parliament, which was dissolved by Al-Hamdi's June 13 movement)
– The Shoura Council re-elected Saleh to a third term on July 17, 1988.
– Elected Presidential Council chairman in 1990.
– Elected Presidential Council chairman in 1993.
– Yemen's first elected Parliament elected Saleh as the republic's first president on Oct. 1, 1994.
– Achieved Yemeni unity May 22, 1990, the dream of all Yemenis, thus ending the suffering of recession by raising the Yemeni Republic's flag and announcing Yemen's establishment
– Re-elected president of Yemen on Sept. 23, 1999, in the first competitive presidential elections.
– The most important achievements under his leadership are rebuilding the Great Dam of Marib, exploring oil and gas, developing education and agriculture, establishing Aden Free Zone and building a vast road network linking the nation's various parts and connecting Yemen with neighboring countries.
– Instituted numerous structural reforms that helped create variety in production fields and thus support Yemen's economy.
– Succeeded in winning the democracy gamble and laid the foundation ensuring the establishment of real democracy.
– Worked on strengthening security and stability, defending human rights and guaranteeing general and individual freedoms.
– Followed reasonable and wise policies, thus saving Yemen from challenges and earning it national, Islamic, regional and international status. Further, he resolved border problems with Yemen's neighbors via peaceful means.
– Awarded a master's degree in military science from Leadership and Staff Faculty in 1989.
– Received an honorary political science doctorate from South Korea's Chowson University and another honorary political science doctorate from Al-Khartoum University in Sudan in 2002.
– Received numerous awards and honors from many countries in return for his efforts to enhance Yemen's relations with neighboring and friendly countries.
– In recognition of his outstanding role in civilizations dialogue and strengthening the culture of toleration and peaceful co-existence, he received Britain's Three-religion Forum Award and the Civilizations Dialogue Award from the Russian National Glory Center.
Faisal Othman Bin Shamlan
– Born 1934 (age 72) in Al-Swiri in Hadramout.
– Attended primary school in Ghail Bawazir and secondary school in Sudan.
– Civil engineering graduate of Kingston University in the UK.
– Married with one son and four daughters.
– Minister of Public Works and Transport in 1967 during the first government formed under President Qahtan Al-Shabi following South Yemen's independence.
– Executive chairman of the General Authority for Electrical Power.
– Supreme People's Council member, 1971-1990.
– Founded Al-Minbar party and issued Al-Minbar newspaper in 1990 with Omar Tarmoom, Dr. Ba Faqih, Dr. Karama Sulian and many others.
– Ministry of Oil manager of oil marketing administration, 1991-92.
– Minister of Oil in 1994, resigned in 1995.
– Member of Parliament, 1990-2003.
– Resigned from Parliament in protest against the two-year extended period of Parliament in 2003, refusing to nominate himself anymore after that.
– When the government was formed in 1994, concerned authorities insistently called on him to preside over the government, but he refused the offer.
– Characterized by a clean vocational job register throughout his life, with an interest in charity projects.
– Returned a car in his keeping after ending his work in oil marketing administration at the Aden refinery.
– Reportedly, unlike other 1994 government ministers, he was given just one car, which he left in the ministry's garage when he resigned his post.
– Given a car by the president in 1997 and later had to sell it to meet his life needs.
– As declared by some close to him, he spent all the money he saved from private work to meet his expenses while working at the ministry.
– Unlike other ministers who receive special entitlements and a car every seven years, he receives YR 38,000 from the Cabinet and YR 20,000 from the presidential office.
Ahmed Abdullah Al-Majeedi
– Born 1947 (age 59) in Beit Al-Qadhi village in Tour Al-Bahah area in Lahj governorate's Al-Sabihah district.
– Holds an advanced diploma in political and social science from Moscow, Russia.
– From a rural family solely depending upon agriculture and related activities to secure the eight-member family's livelihood.
– His early study was in his village's kuttab (a school-like environment where students can study the Qur'an and Arabic language), where he studied the Qur'an and learned to read and write.
– Moved with his father in 1960 to Aden, where he studied preparatory school.
– Received his preparatory school certificate in 1962 and worked as a guard with his father at Queen Elizabeth Hospital (known today as the Republic Hospital).
– Married with 10 children – one son and nine daughters.
– Enrolled in Civil Police School in 1964.
– Graduated from Civil Police School in 1965 and appointed to Al-Sheikh Othman and Al-Mansoura police force. Also at this time, he joined the National Front's Fedayeen to free South Yemen.
– Responsible for a Fedayeen cell within Al-Mansoura police in 1966.
– With his friend Abdulrahman Al-Surimi, established Salahaddin's Fedayeen group in mid-1966.
– Informed by his Civil Police colleagues in mid-1967 that British intelligence had discovered his Fedayeen activities. However, not caring, he headed in his military uniform to police headquarters, where he attacked a British soldier, stole his arms and spent the following period hiding in Lahj, Aden and Al-Sabihah.
– Participated with his liberation army colleagues to overthrow the Abdali Authority in Tour Al-Bahah and Al-Shaet centers in the last quarter of 1967.
– Following South Yemen's independence, went to Taiz with some of his struggling colleagues like Mohammed Ali Salah and Ali bin Ali Shukri.
– Participated in defending Sana'a and the Sept. 26 revolution during the imamate's 70-day siege.
– Appointed Al-Shaet and Tour Al-Qarah police officer in 1968.
– Appointed Tour Al-Bahah police officer in 1970.
– Sent to Russia for military study in Oct. 1970.
– Returned home in mid-1971 to be appointed secretary of Lahj governorate's organizational sector.
– Manager of Lahj's Water Administration, 1972.
– Resumed his Water Administration work until 1977.
– Granted a three-year scholarship to Russia toward the end of 1977 for an advanced diploma in political and social science.
– Appointed assistant secretary of Lahj governorate's economic circle in 1981.
– Appointed chairman of Lahj's defense and security circle in 1984.
– Appointed governor of Al-Mahara governorate in 1986, as well as a Yemeni Socialist Party Central Committee member and a Supreme People's Council member.
– Appointed Hadramout's first YSP secretary in 1989, in addition to his post as executive office chairman.
– Became a Member of Parliament for the Republic of Yemen in 1990.
– Appointed governor of Ibb, 1991-94.
Yassin Abdu Sa'eed
– Born 1952 (age 54) in Lahj governorate's Al-Maqaterah district.
– Holds a business administration certificate from the Faculty of Commerce at Egypt's Ain Shams University.
– Has held numerous posts: Youth and sport consultant, Supreme Commission for Election and Referendum (SCER) member and currently is Deputy Minister of Social Affairs and Labor.
– Participated in leading student movement activities in Taiz.
– Head of the Yemeni Student Association in Egypt.
– Vice president of the founding conference for the Yemeni Expatriates' Union, 1976.
– Central Council member for the Yemeni Economic Association.
Fathi Ahmed Al-Azab
– Born 1962, in Aden governorate
– Married with three children
– Holds a PhD in Chemistry, Sana'a University.
– Faculty of science teacher at Sana'a University.
– Head of the student bureau affiliated with the Yemeni Reform Party (YRP).
– Assistant secretary-general of the YRP's capital branch
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[archive-e:979-v:14-y:2006-d:2006-08-07-p:report]
