Sana'a, Yemen  - Yemen's ruling General People's Congress (GPC) party dominated the country's first ever elections of provincial governors on Saturday amid a boycott by the opposition.

Sixteen GPC politicians won the governor seats of 16 provinces, while three independents were elected as governors in three other provinces, the officials Saba news agency reported.

More than 7,000 members of municipal councils cast their votes in the 20 provinces including the capital Sana'a, the agency said.

Voting was postponed until Sunday in the southern province of Dhaleaa, the stronghold of the southern opposition and the centre of violent protests during the past few months.

Saba said a quorum needed to carry out the voting in Dhaleaa was not reached due to a boycott by opposition-dominated municipal councils in the restive province.

The elected governors will replace incumbents, who had been appointed by the president.

The election, the first in the impoverished Arabian peninsula country, has already been criticized by the opposition as undemocratic.

A political coalition grouping the main five opposition parties said last month it would boycott the planned election, saying that it contradicts the principle of free and direct elections.

The Joint Meeting Parties has called for the governors to be elected by the public rather than municipal councils.

The opposition says the domination of President Ali Abdallah Saleh's GPC over municipal councils would only result in the election of governors close to the president.

Prompted by a series of violent protests and discontent with incumbent governors in southern provinces, Saleh promised on April 10 to introduce several administrative reforms, including the election of provincial governors. (dpa)