Yemen May Postpone Presidential Elections

Recent reports announced that Yemen’s Foreign Minister Abu Bakr al-Qirb said presidential elections – scheduled for February 21, may be delayed due to civil unrest. Several people have already voiced concerns and fears of a delay, and it is believed that the delay could anger opposition leaders and activists who want to see a swift change in power. The February elections were part of a deal that was brokered by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) as a means of easing President Ali Abdullah Saleh out of power. Qirbi has not clearly stated the specific reasons that have led him to believe there may be a delay in the polls. He only stated, “there are a couple of events relating to security, and if they are not solved… it will be difficult to run the elections on 21 February.”

The minister’s announcement comes after al Qaeda forces completely took over a town south of the capital. Fighters of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) having sworn allegiance to Ayman al Zawahiri, their leader, captured the town of Rada’a and freed an estimated 250 inmates from the local prison. Witnesses said the forces raised the al Qaeda flag over the city, and many inmates joined forces with them after being freed.

Update: a top ruling official who only spoke on the condition of anonymity said that Saleh met with security officials and made a request to parliament to delay the elections until May 22. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made it clear that Saleh’s efforts in delaying the elections and remaining in Yemen would be a direct violation of the GCC agreement that was signed.