The new members of the supreme commission for elections and referendum were sworn in before President Saleh on Sunday in Yemen's capital of Aden.

President Saleh issued last week a republican decree appointing nine judges as the new members of the commission amid the condemnation of the opposition which demanded the commission should include members from it and the ruling party.

After the oath, President Saleh met with the judges, urging them to work as a single team and carry their responsibilities courageously and loyally.

You should learn from the previous election experiences and you should understand that your duty must be independent, Saleh told the judges.

Last week, the ruling party alone voted for the controversial election law and picked the nine judges, ignoring the protest of the opposition and independent lawmakers who argue that the moves by the ruling party were unconstitutional and violated joint agreements.

The ruling and opposition parties are currently at odds over arrangements for the upcoming parliamentary elections planned, according to February 2009 agreement, for April 2011.

The agreement postponed the 2009 elections two years to have enough time for conducting electoral reforms.