A week after Yemen's first local government elections, violence showed no sign of abating. Army tanks and the Republican Guard are reported to have been used in the clashes.

Although the death toll is not entirely clear, Yemen Gateway's compilation of incidents reported by western news agencies (Reuter, AP and AFP) suggests that at least 45 people have been killed in election-related violence on polling day (February 22) and subsequently. Most of the incidents reported so far appear to have involved rival supporters of Islah and the ruling GPC.

The local government elections have certainly been more violent than the last parliamentary elections in 1997 when about 11 people were reported killed (eight of them in a single incident). 

There have also been many complaints of electoral irregularities - again, probably more than in 1997. But with 23,000 candidates competing for 7,000 local government seats, compared with only 1,557 for 301 parliamentary seats in 1997, a larger number of complaints was, to some extent, predictable. Whether this actually indicates fraud on a greater scale than in 1997 is not yet clear.

Below is a compilation of violent incidents reported by news agencies. Readers with further information about these, or other election matters, are welcome to contact us.

Feb 22: Three policemen shot dead by Islah militants at a counting centre [AFP, 23 Feb].

Feb 22-23: Two policemen and two civilians killed overnight in clashes between supporters of Islah and GPC, police said [AFP, 23 Feb].

Feb 20: Small explosion near a polling station. Nobody hurt [AP, 20 Feb, Reuters, 20 Feb].

Feb 20: One person injured [AFP, 20 Feb].

Feb 23: Clashes between GPC and Islah supporters. Total casualties in this, and a similar incident in al-Jawf, were three dead and one injured [AFP, 23 Feb].

Feb 24: Four people were killed over vote-counting disputes in the southern city of Taiz, and four soldiers were injured in cross fire between supporters of the ruling General People's Congress and the opposition Islah party, officials said. [AP, Feb 24].

Feb 26: Member of GPC killed Monday in Tai’zz city following dispute with brother of an independent candidate, officials said [AP, 26 Feb].

AL-JAWF

Feb 23: Clashes between GPC and Islah supporters. Total casualties in this, and a similar incident in Ta’izz, were three dead and one injured [AFP, 23 Feb].

Feb 24: Security guard from the GPC shot and killed in clashes with members of Islah, officials said [AP, Feb 24].

Feb 22: Zeinallah Saleh, independent candidate, shot dead. Four others, including three policemen, wounded [AFP, 23 Feb].

Feb 21-22: Nasserite Unionist Party said Mohamed Moqbal Jarun killed overnight as he was leading by 700 votes with the last ballot box being counted. The party said he was killed by shots fired from within the counting centre.

Feb 20: Nine people died and nine were wounded in Ibb province on election day, according to security officials [AFP, 20 Feb; AP, 21 Feb]. Specific incidents reported include the following:

Independent candidate, Salim Ali Hibba, opened fire with an automatic rifle in Ibb city after an argument with a GPC candidate, election officials said. Four people wounded, including an election security official. [AP, 20 Feb]

Clashes between GPC and Islah supporters elsewhere in Ibb left one person dead and three injured, witnesses and election officials said. [AP, 20 Feb]

Gunfire at other polling stations in Ibb province wounded three Islah supporters, election officials said. [AP, 20 Feb]

Feb 22: Faisal al-Dimma, Islah candidate, killed at al-Qafr (Ibb province) after being declared elected. Islah said he was dragged by GPC members to a party headquarters in the village and murdered. [AFP, 22 Feb]

Feb 25: Six people, including three policemen, killed in armed clashes [AFP, Feb 25].

Feb 26: Nine killed, 13 injured (including three children) during clashes with security forces in Ibb province, officials said [AP, 26 Feb].

Feb 20: Tribesmen fired on a helicopter carrying ballot boxes and would not allow it to land, election official said. They claimed the government had forced their candidates to withdraw [AP, 20 Feb] .

Feb 20: Fighting between Islah and GPC supporters killed two people. Seven also reported injured [AP, 21 Feb; AFP, 20 Feb].

Feb 20: One person killed and four wounded in "political faction fights" [AFP, 20 Feb; AP, 21 Feb].

Feb 20: One person killed in "political faction fights" [AP, 21 Feb].

REPORTS OF THE ELECTION:

• Slaughtering democracy (1): Yemen Times
• Slaughtering democracy (2): Yemen Times
• Six more killed: AFP
• Post-election violence kills five: AP
• Eight more killed in clashes: AFP
• Opposition slams polls: BBC, AFP
• Ten killed: BBC, AFP
• Violence mars elections: AP
• Earlier reports: AP, Reuters, AFP, BBC