Sana'a: Yemen's opposition parties have threatened to take to the streets if the ruling party unilaterally heads to the polls next April.

A coalition of opposition parties called for an "action of anger" that will only end when the ruling party recants its steps.

This comes after the majority of ruling party lawmakers voted on amendments to the current electoral law early this week.

The ruling party backed the formation of an electoral commission made up of judges, rather than representatives from all parties in the parliament.

"The vote is violation of the constitution and laws not to mention the fact that it is an overthrow on the February 2009 agreement," the coalition of opposition parties said in a statement read by party leaders at a press conference on Monday.

Lack of reforms

The ruling party and the opposition agreed in February 2009 to delay polls by two years, until April 2011, to allow for political reforms during that period.

However, the said reforms have not been forthcoming and the two-year period is almost over.

Instead, the ruling party appears determined to go to the polls, even in the absence of the country's three largest opposition parties.

It argues that elections must take place on time otherwise the country will face a constitutional vacuum.

However, opposition parties, which include Islamists, socialists and Nasserites, contend that the ruling party is seeking to strengthen its grip on power.

"We call for an action of anger that never quietens down until we restore the rights to change, social justice and equal citizenship," the coalition's statement said.

Yasin Saeed No'man, Secretary-General of the Socialist party, said the ruling party's plan had been orchestrated by extremists within the party's wings.

Mohammad Basundaw, chairman of the opposition National Dialogue Committee, said going to the polls without the opposition would only drag the country into a new crisis.

Sultan Al Barakani, the ruling party's assistant secretary-general, played down the opposition's call to take to streets.

"If they have people to take to streets, they would have taken to streets after the 2006 presidential elections" when their candidate won only 20 per cent of the votes.

Yasser Al Awadi, who is also a high profile member of the ruling party, said his party will keep its doors open to the opposition.