21.   A lone arsonist set ablaze a provincial election bureau Saturday and destroyed voting materials, the day before crucial local and legislative elections.

22.   A lone arsonist set ablaze a provincial election bureau and destroyed voting materials, the day before crucial local and legislative elections, the United Nations mission said Saturday.

23.   Also in Ibb, an independent candidate opened fire with a semiautomatic rifle after arguing with a ruling party candidate, provincial elections officials said.

24.   An investigation showed two provincial election officials had sold registration forms, resulting in the padding of the number of voters, they said.

25.   Bakeo said double registration, along with voting by the dead, was largely to blame for the annulling of results in three provincial elections last November.

26.   Bouchard, who took office in January, has said he would not organize another referendum until after the next provincial election.

27.   Bouchard and Charest are expected to face each other in a showdown provincial election next spring.

28.   Bouchard says he will not announce the next provincial election while the Liberals are searching for a new leader.

29.   Bowing to opposition pressure, however, the Gujarat state Cabinet on Thursday decided against holding immediate provincial elections.

30.   Bouchard declined to answer directly when asked if the Sherbrooke result would encourage him to hold the provincial election promptly.