So far, everything is on schedule for elections on April 27:War won’t stop election [Archives:2003/629/Front Page]

Mohammed Bin Sallam
and Hassan al-Zaidi
Yemen Times Staff
War in Iraq won't stop preparations for the 27 April elections which are in full swing by the Supreme Committee for Election and Referendum, SCER.
Applications for candidates for the parliamentary membership has been still going on by the those who are politically affiliated or independents.
Preparations for the upcoming elections will last for a 10-day period starting from last Tuesday and will continue the coming Thursday.
The SCER officials have declared that the elections application of the eligible applicants will last 10- days and will be distributed to all 301 electoral constituencies.
A SCER official has denied any possibility to postpone the 27 April parliamentary elections due to the US-led war against Iraq.
Meanwhile, the General Peoples Conference, GPC has declared some of its candidates including a female candidate now a member of the current parliament.
Political observers and politicians feel disappointed due to the absence of female candidates in the parliament.
This has occurred in a time in which the PGC has earlier declared its total support for candidates.
Allotting 50 percent parliamentary seats has been repeatedly reiterated by the GPC leaders. But only one female candidate is up for reelection.
A host of politicians and political observers are desiring to increase female candidates in order to reach at least 10 female parliamentarians.
In the same context, al-Methaq, a weekly PGC-run newspaper, has published PGC candidates. Most of those candidates have been reelected or replaced by other parliamentarians.
In the same context, out of 301 constituencies only 100 were agreed upon by the Joint Meeting Parties, JMP where 201 constituencies have been still a controversial matter.
It is worthwhile mentioning that Islah and Socialist parties disagreed about the constituencies in Aden, Taiz and Ibb where both parties claim right and priority over some constituencies.
In the same context, both parties agreed on constituencies in other governorates where political observers believe that the constituencies disagreed upon will be competitive ones.
The PGC has decided last Tuesday to contest in 277 constituencies so far but it said that it has added 24 other constituencies on Wednesday and Thursday, and thus the PGC will contest in all constituencies that numbered 301.
Although PGC has previously pledged to leave some constituencies for the Socialist Party and other parties claiming that it does not well to have an overwhelming majority.
Islah Party on its side has nominated its official candidates in 200 constituencies in addition to other candidates who will contest elections as independents.
Socialists party on its side – and amidst its disagreements with the Islah party- has decided so far to contest only in 60 constituencies.
Many political observers have expressed concerns over a possible untying among the JMP for many reasons one of which is attributed to Islah's reuniting with its old ally, the ruling party, PGC.
This has been manifested itself in some rumors that Sheikh Abdullah Bin Husien al-Ahmer might become the parliament speaker for the successive third time.
Contrary to rumors that Abd Alaziz A. al-Ghani, the Chairman of the Shura Council will replace sheik al-Ahmer, the former has ruled out his contest in constituency 11 in which Husien Almaswari Capital Secretariat ex-mayor and a current member of the Shura Council will contest.
The local political observers see that the upcoming 27 April parliamentary elections will be of a great democratic significance due to the coalition of the opposition parties on one hand and the GPC and the Islah party on the other.
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