Al-Sahwa [Archives:2008/1156/Press Review]

Thursday, May 15, 2005
Top Stories

– Dhalea JMP office calls on people to protest on governor election day

– Symposium: gubernatorial elections influenced by regionalism, nepotism

– YSP Secretary General: Unity is our national project, which we must defend

– Yemeni Journalists Syndicate signs memo of understanding with NDI

– Ruling party offers deals to gubernatorial rivals in exchange of withdrawal

The weekly reported that the ruling party named on Tuesday Dr. Adnan Al-Jefri as its gubernatorial candidate in Aden without any rival. This came four days prior to the deadline of candidate selection after the party pressured Mohammed Al-Abadi, who made a bid to run for governor in the same governorate, to coercively quit the race via strong influence practiced on him by deputy of outgoing Aden governor Abdulkarim Shayef, who is also Chairman of the Aden-based General people Congress (GPC) Office.

It went on to say that it obtained information that Al-Abadi left Aden for Sana'a two days ago after being summoned by President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who persuaded the bidder to quit in the wake of failed pressure and directions given by high-ranking officials in the ruling party to Al-Abbadi to withdraw in favor of Al-Jefri.

It quoted sources as saying that President Saleh's intervention to convince Al-Abbadi to quit followed numerous deals and offers from the ruling party to Al-Abbadi, one of which is the pledge to appoint him Manager of Aden Education Office in exchange for his withdrawal.

The ruling party realized that the bidder enjoys notable popularity among the governorate local councilors, mostly affiliated with the ruling party, and the only staff who are entitled to vote in this gubernatorial election, which the opposition parties boycotted for contravening the Constitution, which stipulates in one of its articles that any elections shall be direct and all eligible voters shall participate in the process.
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