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Yemen president leads vote count | |
(about 2 hours later) | |
Early results in Yemen's presidential election show the president of 28 years leading with more than 80% of the vote, the electoral commission said. | |
Incumbent Ali Abdullah Saleh's main challenger, Faisal Bin Shamlan, was trailing with about 16%, according to the commission head. | |
Voting was mainly peaceful, although at least three people were killed. | |
The elections are being seen as a test of the government's commitment to tackling corruption. | |
It is the first time President Saleh has faced a serious challenge. | |
Roughly 5 million of the 9.2 million eligible Yemenis cast ballots, the commission said. | |
Yemenis discuss the election candidates and issuesIn pictures An official for the commission said three people had died in fighting between rival supporters, including two opposition municipal candidates. | |
The opposition coalition backing Mr Shamlan told Reuters news agency a total of eight people had been killed in gunfights. | |
It also reported 30 instances of irregularities, including observers forced to leave several stations, forced voting, intimidation of voters and removal of ballot boxes, Reuters reported. | |
The BBC's Heba Saleh in Sanaa says Western donors are watching the polls closely. | |
If they are seen to be peaceful and reasonably democratic, donors could increase international aid, which the government says is needed to tackle Islamist militancy. | If they are seen to be peaceful and reasonably democratic, donors could increase international aid, which the government says is needed to tackle Islamist militancy. |
Security was tight at the 5,500 polling stations, with 100,000 security personnel deployed throughout the country. | |
About 100 European observers monitored the vote. | |
'Voters' victory' | 'Voters' victory' |
Many men arrived to vote in traditional clothes and with daggers in their belts while women - of which there are 3.9 million registered in an electorate of 9.25 million - turned up clothed from head to toe in black. | |
They stood in separate lines for booths and were searched by female police officers. | They stood in separate lines for booths and were searched by female police officers. |
Incumbent Ali Abdullah Saleh has been in power for 28 yearsMr Saleh cast his vote early, saying the real victor in the polls was the Yemeni people. | |
"Today is a real celebration of Yemen's democracy as we set the foundations for Yemen's future in peaceful alternation of power," Mr Saleh told reporters as he cast his ballot. | "Today is a real celebration of Yemen's democracy as we set the foundations for Yemen's future in peaceful alternation of power," Mr Saleh told reporters as he cast his ballot. |
Mr Shamlan, a former oil minister, has campaigned with tackling corruption as his main priority if elected. | |
His coalition accuses the ruling party of forging voter lists, and intimidating and arresting his supporters. | |
The other two candidates in the race are socialist party candidate Ahmed al-Majidi and Fathi al-Azab, who urged his supporters to vote for Mr Shamlan. | |
Mr Shamlan's slogan, "a president at the service of Yemen, not Yemen at the service of the president", is an allusion to the alleged cronyism and corruption around Mr Saleh. | Mr Shamlan's slogan, "a president at the service of Yemen, not Yemen at the service of the president", is an allusion to the alleged cronyism and corruption around Mr Saleh. |
BBC Arab affairs analyst Magdi Abdelhadi says a transition to democracy is far ahead of some other countries in Arabia, although power still rests primarily with tribes, the army and religious leaders. | BBC Arab affairs analyst Magdi Abdelhadi says a transition to democracy is far ahead of some other countries in Arabia, although power still rests primarily with tribes, the army and religious leaders. |