Local Elections: Unfair Competition [Archives:2001/08/Focus]

Mohammed Hatem Al-Qadhi 
[email protected] 
Around 5,6 million people will cast their votes in the local elections tomorrow for 23,892 candidates competing for 7,032 seats. They will also nominate their representatives for governorate councils and say “yes” or “no” to the constitutional amendments. During the last few months, these two events have been at the top of everybody’s agenda. In fact, there has been no event that has been debated and discussed elaborately like the constitutional amendments, which also received due attention from regional and international media. 
The proceedings of these two events were associated with some security lapses and breakdowns that were visible in some areas. These incidents claimed the lives of some and caused injuries to some people too. 
The most important point I would like to spotlight is to ask whether there is any fair competition between political parties in this election or not. The answer would be NO for various reasons. 
First of all, the ruling party has got the power to exercise whatever pressure and influence it likes on public opinion. It has got the money too and other means, like media, which are of important value. 
As we know, the government is still monopolizing television broadcasting stations which are very influential and effective in a society like Yemen where most of the people are still illiterate(75%). That is, media is still the first source of information for people particularly in the countryside where around 85% of the population live. This is one advantage for the ruling party. 
It has also been using the official dailies to serve its political ends as these papers have reflected the one-sided opinions of the ruling party , favoring the constitutional amendments. In other words, the parties opposing constitutional amendments and those with comments on the way the elections will be run, did not have a chance to voice these opinions and debate their different opinion towards the two events. That is a disadvantage for them. 
Another point is that the government big guys have been supporting the campaign of the ruling party in terms of conducting field visits to several areas and inaugurating a good number of development projects. The inauguration of these projects in this very time serves the political interests of the ruling party whose officials always shrug their shoulders and feel proud of these “great achievements.” However, these projects and achievements are phantoms and exist only in the minds of these officials. To be realistic, most of these projects were inaugurated some years back. And some of the foundation stones that have been laid are of projects that will not see the light of day. I have experienced this in my area. We had a water project that was launched 15 years ago. Pipelines were planned for different villages, but water never ran in these pipes. 
I believe that if we count the projects that were inaugurated in the last 15 years, we would conclude that if these projects existed and were of use to the public, Yemen could have become a paradise on earth. The problem is that most of these projects are phantom. 
It seems I have gone astray of the main topic I would like to debate which is non-availability competition in the tomorrow election. The examples I have given above make it clear that the competition is unfair. This does not necessarily mean I am against the okay vote to the constitutional amendments or in favor of the opposition which is fragile segments. Rather, I am trying to find out objectively whether fair competitive election is guaranteed or not. This is because the non-existence of such a competition will affect our infant democratic experience which we all are concerned with nursing and developing. 

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