Surprisingly peaceful election day [Archives:2006/983/Front Page]
Yasser Al-Mayasi
SANA'A, Sept. 20 ) The electoral process went smoothly despite various warnings of potential violence. Until the time of writing this report, only few incidences of violations were reported around the republic. Armed elements killed a security officer in electoral constituency No. 37 in Taiz governorate's Sharab Al-Salam district. The incident caused voting to halt at noon, according to local sources.
The same sources mentioned that an armed group broke into the constituency's polling center at Al-Jeel Al-Jadeed School, killing the security officer and preventing citizens from coming to the school and voting.
In related news, the Supreme Commission for Elections and Referendum (SCER) confirmed that armed disputes between elements from the General People's Congress and those affiliated with the Joint Meeting Parties claimed one life in Taiz Constituency No. 58, Jabal Habashi. Another man was seriously injured in the same conflict and rushed to a Taiz hospital.
According to a release from the JMP media center, the chief of Jabal Habashi district was forcing citizens to vote in public.
Sources also reported that the JMP withdrew from elections in Constituency No. 41 following attacks against their representatives there by some elements affiliated with a Taiz deputy governor.
The SCER also announced that one soldier was killed and 11 other individuals seriously injured in a traffic accident in Raymah while heading to safeguard a constituency there.
Local sources from Habour Dhoulimah in Amran governorate mentioned that armed individuals shot dead the election committee chairman there.
In Al-Jawf, which witnessed more violent incidents during the election campaigns, two individuals were injured in an exchange of fire, according to official sources.
Local sources in Al-Jawf's Al-Zaher district mentioned that election results were announced in the morning in a manner violating the law and pointed out that voting was halted at some polling centers.
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