The United States has hailed Yemen's election, which is seen by pundits as a mockery of democracy, praising the Yemenis who voted for the sole candidate in the election.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton claimed the "important step" of voting sends a clear message that the people of Yemen are looking forward to a brighter democratic future.

US State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland also hailed the vote, saying "We are encouraged and we congratulate the Yemenis for really launching this process, taking ownership of it as a population, and we will stand with them as they take the next steps."

The comments by the US officials come despite the fact that the protesters in Yemen continue to demand the removal of the regime which abounds with officials from the Ali Abdullah Saleh-era.

Yemen’s major opposition groups, including the Southern Movement and the Southern Shia group, had boycotted the election.

The Tuesday election has been widely criticized for having Saleh's Vice-President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi as the sole candidate. He is to lead Yemen for a two-year interim period as specified by a power transition deal brokered by the [Persian] Gulf Cooperation Council and signed by Saleh in November.

Saudi Arabia has exerted influence over Yemen for several years and seeks to use the election to maintain its sway over the country. However, Saudi Arabia’s rhetoric about democracy rings hollow since the country is an absolute monarchy that has always repressed the democratic aspirations of its own citizens.

The United States is also cynically trying to use Yemen’s one-candidate sham presidential election to realize its objectives in the region.

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Source: Press TV