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Supporting the Supreme Commission for Elections and Referenda (SCER) in implementing a national public information campaign to increase voter participation in the Yemen elections.
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PUBLIC INFORMATION CAMPAIGN 2003 PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS IN YEMEN
Holding of three multi-party Parliamentary elections (in 1993, 1997 and 2003), the first direct Presidential elections (1999), two constitutional referenda and the first Local Council elections (2001). • The UNDP Electoral Support Project for the Supreme Commission for Elections and Referenda(SCER) specifically targeted the efforts of the SCER to prepare and conduct the Parliamentary elections held on 27 April 2003. • Project activities of the support project focused on the most immediate prioritiesandtechnical areasof the various phases of the 2003 electoral process. • The 2003 Parliamentary elections presented many challenges, among which the need of drastically increasing voter awareness and participation
During the course of the various elections in Yemen, and before the 2003 Presidential elections, voter participation had significantly declined. Elections were characterized by: • Poor participation and voter turnout Citizen participation in voter registration and the actual voter turnout on election day had been significantly low in Yemen. As an example, in 1997, out of an estimated electorate of 7 million voters, 4.6 million voters were registered and only 2.8 million voted. • Gender disparity in participation Participation of women in the electoral process and their empowerment in political life (both as registered voters and as potential candidates)was traditionally very low. The number of registered female voters until 2001 had been significantly low compared to the number of male voters, with 1.7 million female voters of a total of 4.6 million registered voters
To assist the SCER in its efforts of expanding democratic participation in the electoral process, particularly for under-represented segments of the society This objective was achieved by assisting the SCER in defining and implementing its national public information and voter education campaign aimed at increasing citizen participation in the voter registration process and the voters’ turnout on election day
Support to civil society organizations, both during the voter registration process and during the run-up to the April 2003 elections.
Radio Programmes • TV Plays and Spots • The “Echo of Elections”: TV Debates and Roundtables, bi-weekly, with one focusing on women participation • Testimonials Video