Why I’m not voting… [Archives:2003/633/Opinion]

Rana Rasheed
For the Yemen Times
[email protected]
When the elections started I was excited, I got myself an election card thinking it's good to be over 18 and use my right to vote. Then a question rose up: “Who am I going to vote for??!” The election campaigns started, well to put this right the pictures and the propagandas -the only sign of the candidates – were hung every where. Browsing through the available stuff, I realized that no one actually represents me! So I decided I'm Not Voting.
I'm not voting for the General People's Congress because they have been handling the government for a VERY long time and problems like corruption are getting worse, whereas the Yemeni people are getting poorer and poorer compared to other countries regionally and globally.
For Islah, I have to confess they are very organized and they have “fancy” slogans and “powerful” promises. The irony of this, is that in the same time in which they promise peace and security, some of its members are breaking the law and do not have any respect for human lives. You can't preach what you don't do.
The Yemeni Socialist Party; well, they came by next to our house and with microphones and started saying some very old fashioned slogans and over-used speeches. I think this party would disappear from political front a decade or so from now, unless they change and renew their trends.
Beside the above mentioned parties there are other less prominent independent candidates and other parties who didn't contact the public. Maybe there is someone out there whom I feel would represent me, but all parties in general were inefficient in their election campaigns and this is the second reason why I am not voting.
The candidates were very inadequate in declaring themselves preferring a “Closed Isolation Policy”. As a voter, I have no idea who they are?? Or what exactly do they do?? What did they achieve?!
Some might say you should ask, well I say: NO it's their job to make all their information known to the public by making DIRECT contact with public saying who they are and what would they do for us.
And here's a surprise; there's a common point between all the parties in this years elections: they didn't encourage women participations as candidates! Women weren't supported to be part of the parliament basically because of the lack of trust in their ability to be an efficient member in the parliament. They just want to use women's voices, and for me as a woman I refused to be used.
I believe that my generation has different views, inclinations and ambitions; and I truly believe that my generation is the one that'll make positive change in Yemen and would make Yemen a better place except in the future it's going to be our way.
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