Yemen's ruling party confirmed Tuesday to hold delayed parliamentary elections in April 2011 despite of opposition's boycott, according to a statement posted on the party's website, Xinhua reported.
The statement came in response to a declaration by the opposition on Monday that vowed to boycott the elections over what it claimed that the "ruling party approved unilaterally on amendment to the parliamentary elections."
In its statement, the ruling party General People's Congress ( GPC), accused the opposition coalition of the Joint Meeting Parties (JMPs) of overthrowing the democratic process by announcing the boycott, saying the opposition is seeking to drive the country into the "empty of legitimacy".
It said the opposition procrastinated in implementing the agreed constitutional reforms that based on the 2009 February deal.
Security authorities on Tuesday deployed hundreds of anti-riot soldiers around the main streets leading to the building of the Parliament in the capital Sanaa, according to independent media News Yemen.
On Monday, the opposition vowed to boycott parliamentary elections next April, and called for protest against the ruling party after the latter approved unilaterally the controversial amendment to the elections earlier.
It said the amendment to the electoral law that passed unilaterally by the GPC violated the constitution and the deal for reforms signed in February 2009.
The opposition said the ruling party stopped in October the talks with the opposition on implementing reforms on the parliamentary elections and disavowed the deal agreed in February 2009 by passing the amendment.
The opposition coalition includes the largest opposition parties of Socialist Party and Islamist Al-Islah (Reform) Party, as well as other smaller factions.
On Feb. 23, 2009, the GPC and JMPs inked an agreement to delay the parliament elections previously scheduled for April 2009 to April 2011, as well as to carry out political and electoral reforms.
However, both sides accused each other of shrinking in implementing the agreement, which caused a long political crisis between them.