The GPC Reform Platform
It sounds very good but I’m a little cynical having seen so many big reform plans announced that are not implemented. There’s still only one embassy closed after *that* big round of announcements. But if nothing else, this announcement will fuel the tide of rising expectations in Yemen.
YT/NY: The statement said the meeting tackled the mechanism to executing some drastic reform measures in ‘the democratic, regulatory, judicial, economic, financial, and administrative sectors’ and also in ‘combating corruptions plus strengthening press freedoms and adjusting the press and publication law’.The cabinet, which has been holding daily meetings since the return of Saleh from his tour, announced yesterday that it has developed ‘a list of extensive reform measures’ that would be incorporated in the program of the upcoming General People’s Congress assembly meeting to take place in Aden mid December.
Among the major focal points raised in the statement was the concentration on real practical mechanisms to apply urgently needed reforms in various aspects and to activate apparatuses that would hold the government responsible and monitor its performance.
The meeting also approved the establishment of an independent national commission to combat terrorism that would be composed of governmental bodies along with some civil society organizations.
The meeting also resulted in the formation of a supreme independent technical committee to monitor bids and tenders and to improve transparency in the process of approving tender and bid operations. It will also help in ensuring neutrality in the phase of selecting the winning companies or contractors based on technical conditions and standards that would guarantee the most appropriate prices and highest quality ‘to save public wealth from unnecessary expenses’ and ‘to implement projects based on the highest of standards’.
The meeting also approved a number of amendments to laws of the judicial branch to help secure the financial and administrative independence of the judiciary based on the constitution and to eliminate potential manipulation or pressure by the executive branch and to cope with international standards particularly in commercial courts to secure the interests of investors by ensuring that court cases are dealt with in a swift, professional, and effective manner by honest, qualified and well-trained judges.
Update: Anti-corruption body to be set up. But once additional cases are identified, will any one be brought to trial, not the low level people but the real theives?
