This statement has been prepared by the National Democratic Institute (NDI) in advance of the presidential and local council elections in Yemen, currently scheduled for September 20, 2006. The purpose of this statement is to provide an assessment of the technical preparations and preelection political environment as well as to express the support of the international community for a continued strengthening of elections and democratic development in Yemen. The international pre-election assessment delegation conducted its activities in accordance with Yemeni law and the Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation, which embraces the principles of non-interference, impartiality and professionalism for international election observers. NDI recognizes that it will be the people of Yemen who will ultimately determine the credibility of the upcoming elections and their meaning for developing democracy in Yemen.



The delegation conducting the assessment included: Aileen Carroll, former Minister of International Cooperation and Member of Parliament in Canada; Matthew Frumin, Special Counsel at the law firm of Steptoe & Johnson and former Special Assistant to the Under-Secretary of State for Global Affairs in the United States; and Dr. Robin Madrid, NDI/Yemen Country Director. From July 22 – 25, 2006, the delegation met with officials from the Supreme Commission of Elections and Referenda (SCER), leaders of the ruling General People’s Congress (GPC) and the opposition coalition Joint Meeting Parties (JMP), electoral advisors from the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and IFES, journalists and representatives of non-governmental organizations (NGOs). The delegation would like to express its deep appreciation to those who took the time to share their views.



This pre-election assessment is part of a larger NDI program designed to contribute to a genuine and transparent electoral process. Since the 2003 parliamentary elections, NDI has been working with political parties and government officials, including representatives of the SCER, to improve their election-related capacity and with NGOs to enhance their election monitoring efforts. These activities have included: organizational development, particularly at the branch level, for political parties; consultations with the SCER on the implementation of the voter registration update and preparations for the September elections; consultations between political party leaders and the SCER on electoral reforms; and support for monitoring of the voter registration period. Prior to the September polls, NDI will continue to support the efforts by political parties and civic groups to participate in the elections and to promote a fair and transparent process.