Middle East News
Yemen's sole candidate to begin presidential campaign
Feb 7, 2012, 11:32 GMT
Sana'a - Yemen's sole presidential candidate, Abd Rabbu Mansur Hadi, began his election campaign on Tuesday for the polls scheduled on February 21.
The parliament unanimously nominated Vice President Hadi as the only presidential candidate, following a United Nations-sponsored deal for power transition in the strife-torn country.
Outgoing President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who is currently in the United States for medical treatment, signed a deal in November to step down and pass power to Hadi, in return for immunity from prosecution.
Hadi is expected to deliver a speech to outline his presidential programme in his campaign titled 'Together to Build the new Yemen.'
Both Saleh's ruling party, the General Peoples Congress, and the opposition coalition the Joint Meeting Parties (JMP) agreed on Hadi.
However, the separatist Southern Movement, calling for the separation of southern Yemen, and the Houthi Shiite rebels reject Hadi and are calling on people not to boycott the election.
The early vote aims to end a year of protests and violence against Saleh's regime.
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