Reuters - SANAA - Yemenis voted on Wednesday in elections that long-serving President Ali Abdullah Saleh is expected to win despite a challenge from a former minister.
Heightened security surrounds the elections for a president and municipal councils following last week's foiled attacks on energy sites in a country battling al Qaeda militants.
Authorities arrested a man they believed was carrying explosives in a crowded area of the capital Sana’a but later released him when the incident was revealed as a hoax.
Polling stations opened at 8 a.m. (0500 GMT) for more than nine million Yemeni voters. Officials say around 100,000 security personnel will guard the vote and another 100,000 are on standby to combat any militant attack or violence.
Witnesses said three people were killed on Wednesday in areas outside Sana’a in fighting between candidates' supporters.
He won the first direct election in 1999 but the opposition boycotted the vote.
He now faces four rivals, the most prominent is Shamlan who was nominated by a coalition of opposition parties that includes Islamists and socialists.
The best candidate for president would be someone who modernizes the country and improves the economy. President Saleh is the closest to these issues," said retired civil servant Abdullah.
CAMPAIGN CORNERSTONE

"I am voting for change because the living situation is dismal," said one man voting for Shamlan. "Some people oppose change because they fear it will be destructive but we have to take this risk," said the 32-year-old who requested anonymity.
The other three hopefuls, two of whom are pro-government, have little political experience and are standing as independents.
Candidate backers and foreign observers are monitoring the voting. Violence has marred past parliamentary elections.
On the eve of the poll, Saleh said one of Shamlan's bodyguards was arrested for belonging to al Qaeda, in what the opposition candidate called a political stunt to discredit him.