Longtime President Saleh 's vice president is the sole candidate on the ballot . Saleh handed over power to Hadi in November after months of protests . People say they 're looking to Hadi to start promised reforms . Gerald Feierstein , the U.S. ambassador to Yemen , told CNN that the transition laid out in the Gulf plan as well as efforts to boost the economy and deliver basic services will be critical `` in terms of our ability to defeat al Qaeda and other violent extremist organizations in the country . `` All of these elements are going to help us defeat al Qaeda and eliminate them as a threat here in Yemen , to the region and to the world , '' Feierstein said . Separatist leaders in south Yemen say they expect little change .
Longtime President Saleh 's vice president is the sole candidate on the ballot . Saleh handed over power to Hadi in November after months of protests . People say they 're looking to Hadi to start promised reforms . Separatist leaders in south Yemen say they expect little change .