English Story

也门将选举产生新总统

People in Yemen are due to elect a new president, ending current leader Ali Abdullah Saleh's 33-year-rule.

也门人民将要选举出一位新总统来结束现任领导阿里·阿布杜拉·萨利赫33年的统治。

Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi will inherit a country in deep crisis on many fronts
Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi will inherit a country in deep crisis on many fronts
Voters are expected to rubber-stamp(不经审查就批准) Vice-President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi - the only candidate in Tuesday's poll.

It comes after a year of violent anti-government protests in the Arabian peninsula's poorest country.

Violence continued on Monday, with at least one polling station reportedly attacked in the south. One person is said to have been killed.

Foregone conclusion

The election follows a deal brokered by Yemen's Gulf Arab neighbours.

Mr Saleh signed the agreement to step down - but only once a new president is elected.

On Monday, he urged Yemenis to vote for Mr Hadi to ensure "a peaceful transition of power".

According to the election rules, there is no minimum turnout for the vote to be valid. In other words, says the BBC's Rupert Wingfield-Hayes in Sanaa, if only one person turns out to vote for him, Mr Hadi will still win.

It all sounds like a bit of a farce(闹剧) , our correspondent adds. But he adds that the election is not much about choosing a new leader, it is about making sure that Mr Saleh is gone for good.

The new leader will face a daunting(使人畏缩的) list of tasks - an ongoing rebellion in large chunks of the country, al-Qaeda militants and also widespread malnutrition(营养不良) among children and severe drought.