2012 Yemeni presidential election

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2012 Yemeni presidential election
Flag of Yemen.svg
  2006 21 February 2012 Next  
Registered10,243,364
Turnout64.78% (Decrease2.svg 0.38pp)
  Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi.jpg
Nominee Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi
Party GPC
Popular vote6,621,921
Percentage100%

2012 Yemen presidential election by governorate.svg
Results by governorate
Hadi:      100%

President before election

Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi (acting)
GPC

Elected President

Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi
GPC

Presidential elections were held in Yemen on 21 February 2012. Acting President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi was the only candidate, and was subsequently sworn into office on 25 February 2012. As of 2024 this is the last presidential election in Yemen, as the country descended into civil war two years later.

Contents

Background

During the Yemeni revolution, the Gulf Cooperation Council proposed an agreement whereby President Ali Abdullah Saleh would transfer his powers to Vice President Hadi. Saleh signed an agreement in Riyadh on 23 November 2011 under which he was to remain in office as a figurehead for up to three months, after which elections would be held. [1] On 26 November, Hadi announced 21 February 2012 as the date for the elections. [2]

Campaign

According to Prime Minister Mohammed Basindawa, the main opposition Joint Meeting Parties coalition and the ruling General People's Congress jointly nominated Hadi as their consensus candidate. [3]

The Houthis in northern Yemen called for a boycott of the vote, but said they would not stop those who wished to vote from doing so. In the same vein, the southern secessionists also called for a boycott. Yemeni police said they had arrested "hardliners" from the movement who sought to forcefully prevent people from voting. [4]

Conduct

Despite the ongoing uprising and reactions that continued to cause violence, other poll related violence included at least two attacks near polling stations prior to the vote. One of the attacks occurred the day before the election in Aden, a stronghold of the Southern Movement seeking to secede and restore an independent South Yemen, that result in the death of one soldier. The Yemeni government warned that there was "certain" to be violent attempts to disrupt the vote.[ citation needed ] On election day, at least one security service personnel was killed in the southern al-Mansoura district. Further violence was reported in the south. Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula was also accused of attacking election committees.

Results

According to Yemeni law, the final result was expected within ten days. Voter turnout was reported to be 65%. [5]

CandidatePartyVotes%
Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi General People's Congress 6,621,921100.00
Total6,621,921100.00
Valid votes6,621,92199.80
Invalid/blank votes13,2710.20
Total votes6,635,192100.00
Registered voters/turnout10,243,36464.78
Source: IFES

Reactions

International

Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  China – At a regular press briefing Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said "We hope relevant parties make joint efforts to ensure a peaceful and orderly political transitional process, to restore normal social order at an early date and realize national stability and development". [6]

Flag of Cuba.svg  Cuba – President of the Council of State and Council of Ministers of Cuba Raúl Castro sent the elected president a congratulatory cable. [7]

Flag of France.svg  France – A Foreign Ministry statement said that France welcomed the holding of the presidential election, commended the Yemeni people for their mobilization and the conduct of the election, which for the most part was peaceful. It also addressed its congratulations to, and expressed its support for and trust in Hadi, however it recognized that serious acts of intimidation resulting in the loss of life were committed in certain southern governorates, notably in the city of Aden, in an attempt to jeopardize the success of the elections, strongly condemning these acts. [8]

Flag of Russia.svg  RussiaPresident of Russia Dmitry Medvedev sent a congratulatory telegram to Hadi, saying "We note with satisfaction that the Republic of Yemen is moving along the path of restoring stability and security and implementing a wide range of social and economic and democratic transformations based on a broad national dialog and in line with the aspirations of all of the country's citizens".[ citation needed ] Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said "We hail the efforts of the Yemeni authorities who provided voting in the earlier stated date, as well as the active participation of the people (in the election process)".[ citation needed ]

Flag of Spain.svg  Spain – The Spanish government welcomed the elections, considering it a major step towards the democratic transition and the start of a new phase in Yemen's history. The Spanish Foreign Ministry renewed in a statement its full support for democratic transition process in Yemen and confirmed its intention to continue to work with the Yemeni government and the various spectra of Yemeni society to face the future challenges in various fields. [9]

Flag of Turkey.svg  Turkey – A Foreign Ministry statement welcomed the elections as a significant step and hoped the results of the elections would be beneficial for the Yemeni people. The statement added that "Turkey now expects a national dialogue conference to take place with participation of all seagments in Yemen". [10]

Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom – Foreign Minister William Hague welcomed the successful Yemeni election saying "Yemeni people made clear there is no place for violence in Yemen's democratic future". [11]

Flag of the United States.svg  United StatesPresident Barack Obama told Hadi that the United States would be a steadfast partner and urged him to follow through on promises for a broad national dialogue, political reforms and elections by 2014. [12]

Flag of the United Nations.svg  United Nations – UN envoy Jamal Bin Omar, while visiting some of the polling stations in Sana'a said "The February 21st, is a historic day, and it protected Yemen from a civil war". [13]

Aftermath

Hadi took oath of office in the House of Representatives on 25 February. [14] On the same day a suicide bomber detonated his vehicle outside a presidential palace in Mukalla, the capital of Hadhramaut Governorate, killing at least 26 members of the Republican Guard. [15] Saleh formally ceded power to Hadi and stepped down on 27 February 2012. [16]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Politics of Yemen</span>

The Politics of Yemen are in an uncertain state due to the Houthi takeover in Yemen. An armed group known as the Houthis or Ansar Allah seized control of the Northern Yemeni government and announced it would dissolve parliament, as well as install a "presidential council", "transitional national council", and "supreme revolutionary council" to govern the country for an interim period. However, the deposed president, Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, has declared he is still in office and is working to establish a rival government in Aden.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yemeni Armed Forces</span> Combined military forces of Yemen

The Yemeni Armed Forces are the military forces of the Republic of Yemen. They include the Yemeni Army, Yemeni Navy and the Yemeni Air Force. Since the start of the current civil war in 2014, the armed forces have been divided; at first between loyalists of the former president Ali Abdullah Saleh and pro-Yemeni government forces of president Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi; as of 2024, between the internationally recognized Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), and the Houthi-led Supreme Political Council (SPC). Per the constitution, the President of Yemen serves as the commander-in-chief. Currently, the presidency and supreme command of the armed forces is disputed between Rashad al-Alimi, Chairman of the PLC, and Mahdi al-Mashat, chairman of the SPC. Before the civil war, the united military was headquartered in the country's capital, Sana’a.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ali Abdullah Saleh</span> Yemeni Politician (1942–2017) President of North Yemen, then Yemen (1978–2012)

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">President of Yemen</span> Head of state of Yemen

The president of the Republic of Yemen is the head of state of Yemen. Under the Constitution of Yemen, the president is also the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces and head of the executive branch of the Yemeni government.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yemeni Socialist Party</span> Political party in Yemen

The Yemeni Socialist Party is a democratic socialist political party in Yemen. A successor of Yemen's National Liberation Front, it was the ruling party in South Yemen until Yemeni unification in 1990. Originally Marxist–Leninist, the party has gradually evolved into a social democratic opposition party in today's unified Yemen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">House of Representatives (Yemen)</span> Lower house of the legislature of Yemen

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi</span> President of Yemen from 2012 to 2022

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Khaled Bahah</span> Yemeni politician and diplomat

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References

  1. "Yemeni President Saleh signs deal on ceding power". BBC News . BBC. 23 November 2011. Retrieved 23 November 2011.
  2. "Yemen's vice-president calls snap elections". Al Jazeera English . Al Jazeera. 26 November 2011. Retrieved 26 November 2011.
  3. Yemen: Presidential Election Won’t Be Much of a Contest, Says PM [ permanent dead link ] GNDEM, 27 November 2011
  4. Houthis call for boycotting early Yemeni presidential elections Yemen Post, 11 February 2012
  5. "February 2012". Rulers.org. Retrieved 25 February 2012.
  6. China welcomes presidential election in Yemen People's Daily Online, 23 February 2012
  7. President Hadi receives congratulations SABA News agency, 10 March 2012
  8. Presidential election in Yemen Archived 2012-10-18 at the Wayback Machine Government of France, 21 February 2012
  9. Spain: Yemen's election is key step towards democratic transition SABA News Agency, 23 February 2012
  10. "Turkey hopes election results will be beneficial to Yemen", Andolu Agency Archived October 18, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
  11. "Foreign Secretary welcomes successful Yemeni election", UK in Germany website, February 22 2012.
  12. Obama welcomes new Yemen leader, pushes for reform, election [ dead link ] Times of India, 26 February 2012
  13. Yemen new president elected, what next? Nasser Arrabyee blog, 21 February 2012
  14. Kasinof, Laura (25 February 2012). "Yemen's New President Sworn Into Office". The New York Times . Retrieved 25 February 2012.
  15. Al-Qaeda claims deadly attack on a Yemen presidential palace Al Arabiya, 29 February 2016
  16. Yemen’s Saleh formally steps down after 33 years at helm, hands over power to Hadi Al Arabiya, 27 February 2012