Foreign Observers to Monitor Presidential Elections [Archives:1999/33/Front Page]

SANAA: The Head of the Supreme Election Commission, Mr. Abdullah Barakat had confirmed the news that Independent foreign observers’ from different countries will be monitoring Yemen’s presidential election scheduled to be held next month. The observers main duty will be to make sure that the elections will be free and fair in all aspects. 
The monitoring delegations are expected to cooperate with the SEC to guarantee that the basic principles of voting will be appreciated. 
Depending on reliable sources, the number of voters are not in the expected levels. Hence the voting process will not be as complicated as the last parliamentary elections in 1997. Even though the opposition has decided to boycott the elections and ask the public not to participate in the elections, the authorities have shrug their shoulders and have shown no indication of cancelling the elections. On the contrary, the official press and media organs intensified their campaigns of calling the public to participate in the elections, which many see as pre-determined, especially that the only candidate is still struggling to get the budget that will finance his campaign. 
The majority of first world countries were discouraged by the refusal to endorse the nomination of 23 presidential nominees by the parliament, including the opposition’s sole candidate. However, they are still pushing forward to have the elections for the sake of being a pioneer in the region to have such direct presidential elections. 

——
[archive-e:33-v:1999-y:1999-d:1999-08-16-p:./1999/iss33/front.htm]