In an exceptional meeting, the cabinet discussed the preparations for electing governors, which is due to be conducted on April 27 after President Saleh and the government managed to pass the amendments on local governance law.

Parliament approved these amendments in last weeks session that witnessed the withdrawal of opposition parties, Joint Meeting Parties (JMP), representatives in protest against the hasty manner in which preparations for these amendments and elections was made.

In their statement, the JMP described this move by authorities to be disappointing especially when the forthcoming governors are to be elected by the members of the local authority in each province's districts.

The rejection of the JMP is justified by the fact that the General People Congress (GPC) enjoys overwhelming majority among the members of the local authority in most provinces, and this would ensure the victory of its candidates against their enemies from other parties or even the independent ones.

They also rejected the text which does not condition that candidates should be from among the provinces' sons.

Sources expected that many governors will keep their posts especially when they exploit public funds for their electoral campaigns and their influence to force a certain number of local authority members.

Meanwhile, sources from the GPC declared that electing governors comes in translation of president Saleh's electoral platform which aims at having local governance with broad powers.

The ruling party hopes that this move would ease the situation and end the tensions witnessed in southern provinces including Al-Dhal'e, Lahj and to some extent Abyan.