Yemen votes for Saleh's replacement

23 February 2012

Vice-president Abdrabbou Mansour al-Hadi is the only candidate

Yemen held elections on 21 February to elect a new president and to mark the end of former President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s 33-year reign.

The election is part of a Gulf transfer deal, backed by the US that Saleh step down from power in November in exchange for full immunity from prosecution over the alleged killings of protesters last year. Saleh agreed to step down once a new president had been elected.

The only candidate in the elections was vice-president Abdrabbu Mansour al-Hadi. The new president will now have to battle with issues such as severe malnutrition among half a million children and the fact that large areas are still in rebellion and Al-Qaeda militants have taken control of two districts.

In the southern city of Aden, violence broke out at polling stations after the separatist Southern Movement announced a day of civil disobedience to mark the vote.

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