almotamar.net - Chief Advisor of the Political Financing at the International foundation for Electoral Systems IFES said the Yemeni election law prohibits buying electoral votes or the use of the funds of the state in the electoral process, stressing the necessity of transparency and the candidates’ declaration about sources for financing their electoral campaigns.

IFES official pointed out in a press conference he held in Sana’a Wednesday spending of billions of Yemeni riyals by the General People’s Congress GPC ruling party and the opposition party Islah during the parliamentary elections in 2003 with the purpose of buying electors votes.


He also affirmed that the political corruption related to funding electoral campaigns threatens democratic development and affects the developmental operation in any country due to the huge amounts of money spent on the electoral process and that made financing candidates by businessmen change to investment they make up for the funds they spent to support the candidates through obtaining contracts and tenders.


The IFES official made it clear that parties in many countries of the world believe in attaining power as a means for wealth. As soon as they attain power the party affiliates begin to take advantage of public property for the interest of their companies. While he clarified that the change in the electoral system does not solve the problem of political corruption he pointed out the importance of the existence of monitoring controls on financing politics and the press should play a role in creating an awareness against the illegitimate financing of the candidates and by that the good politicians will be able to reach the decision-making body.


At the beginning of the press conference the Executive Director of IFES in Yemen Peter Williams presented a short account on the international foundation for electoral systems, indicating that it is an international non-profitable and non-partisan foundation concerned with supporting democracy. He added that the foundation has worked in 100 countries and presently it is active in 35 countries and has offices in Yemen, Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, Iraq and Palestine.