Yemen, US in talks

WASHINGTON, Nov. 11 (Saba) - Head of the Supreme Commission for
Elections and Referendum SCER Khalid Abdul Wahab al-Sharif held on
Tuesday talks in Washington with deputy assistant of Secretary of
State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labo Erica J. Barks-Ruggles.

The talks discussed several issues, including the matter of training
Yemeni cadres of monitoring polls as well as providing modern
equipment for the SCER.

Al-Sharif said Yemen is sparing no efforts to promote the women's
participation in elections and presenting democratic concepts in the
curricula as well as improving electoral legislations.

He hailed the successful US presidential elections, affirming the
importance of learning from such experience.

For her part, Barks-Ruggles expressed the US keenness to strengthen
its relations with Yemen, pointing out that the US is closely
monitoring the latest developments on the Yemen arena.

She praised the democracy in Yemen and the Yemeni government efforts
to preserve human rights, pointing to the last Yemen presidential
elections which were considered as a pilot democratic experience in
the region.

Barks-Ruggles also voiced the US interested in supporting the Yemeni
government to hold the upcoming parliamentary elections on time and
hopes that the elections come off.
FR