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Yemen voters elect new leader to end Saleh rule Yemen voters choose new leader to end Saleh rule
(about 1 hour later)
People in Yemen are voting to elect a new president to replace veteran leader Ali Abdullah Saleh.People in Yemen are voting to elect a new president to replace veteran leader Ali Abdullah Saleh.
Voters are expected to rubber-stamp Vice-President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi - the only candidate in Tuesday's poll.Voters are expected to rubber-stamp Vice-President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi - the only candidate in Tuesday's poll.
The poll comes after a year of violent anti-government protests in the Arabian peninsula's poorest country.The poll comes after a year of violent anti-government protests in the Arabian peninsula's poorest country.
Violence continued on Monday, with at least one polling station reportedly attacked in the south. One person is said to have been killed. Long queues formed early in the morning at polling stations in the capital Sanaa, protected by tight security measures.
Violence continued on Monday, with at least one polling station attacked in the south. One person is said to have been killed.
Foregone conclusionForegone conclusion
The separatist Southern Movement and the northern Shia rebels have called on people to boycott the poll.
But the main supporters of the uprising that began in January 2011 are supporting Mr Hadi, whose election posters are prominently displayed in Sanaa.
He is from the south himself and has called for dialogue with the rebels there.
For outsiders, it is hard to understand why anyone would get excited about such a demonstrably undemocratic election.
The vice-president is the only candidate - but that is not the point. This election is about making sure that Yemen's president for the last 33 years, Ali Abdullah Saleh, is gone for good.
But even with him gone, the old president's sons and nephews still control the military.
Large chunks of the country are in rebellion and al-Qaeda militants have recently taken control of two districts.
The BBC's Rupert Wingfield-Hayes in Sanaa says the situation there is peaceful, and there is a lot of enthusiasm at the prospect of getting rid of the old president.
The election follows a deal brokered by Yemen's Gulf Arab neighbours.The election follows a deal brokered by Yemen's Gulf Arab neighbours.
Mr Saleh, who has been in office for 33 years, signed the agreement to step down - but only once a new president is elected.Mr Saleh, who has been in office for 33 years, signed the agreement to step down - but only once a new president is elected.
On Monday, he urged Yemenis to vote for Mr Hadi to ensure "a peaceful transition of power".On Monday, he urged Yemenis to vote for Mr Hadi to ensure "a peaceful transition of power".
According to the election rules, there is no minimum turnout for the vote to be valid. In other words, says the BBC's Rupert Wingfield-Hayes in Sanaa, if only one person turns out to vote for him, Mr Hadi will still win. According to the election rules, there is no minimum turnout for the vote to be valid.
It all sounds like a bit of a farce, our correspondent adds. But he adds that the election is not much about choosing a new leader, it is about making sure that Mr Saleh is gone for good. Our correspondent Rupert Wingfield-Hayes says if only one person turns out to vote for him, Mr Hadi will still win.
It all sounds like a bit of a farce, he adds. But he says that the election is not much about choosing a new leader, it is about marking an end to President Saleh's rule.
The new leader will face a daunting list of tasks - an ongoing rebellion in large chunks of the country, al-Qaeda militants and also widespread malnutrition among children and severe drought.The new leader will face a daunting list of tasks - an ongoing rebellion in large chunks of the country, al-Qaeda militants and also widespread malnutrition among children and severe drought.
More than 12 million people are eligible to vote. Ten million registered for the last vote in 2006 in addition to 2.2 million new voters. The new president is due to stay stay in office for two years, when a further round of presidential and parliamentary elections are scheduled.