Washington praised Yemenis for taking an "important step" towards a democratic future, although separatists in the south and rebels in the far north rejected the single-candidate poll.
Turnout in Tuesday’s vote reached 60 per cent nationwide, according to an electoral official, but in the south, where ten people were killed in clashes between separatist militants and police, turnout was far lower.
"Average nationwide voter participation reached 60 per cent," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. In the main southern city of Aden, 50 per cent of eligible voters cast their ballots, while in other southern provinces, turnout was less than 40 per cent, he added.
