Armies of Liberation

In actuality, every consitutional ammendment since 1990 has significantly hampered pluralism, consolidated power in the executive and diminished citizenship rights. It would be nice to turn the corner on that trend.

Yemen Times:

SANA’A, September 30 — Yemeni Opposition belittled the importance of the constitutional amendments announced last Monday by President Saleh and posed once more in his speech made on the eve of September 26. They considered the amendments to be a detour on the real reforms of Yemen’s political system as demanded by the opposition forces.

Opposition media viewed the new initiative by President Saleh to be a new attempt by him to stand another round of elections of five years each. These amendments are due to be implemented after by the end of the current round in 2013.

Famous opposition politicians reacted differently to Saleh’s initiative and considered it to be a new wit for political parties.

In a political symposium held on Friday, Supreme Authority of Islah Party member Mohammed Qahtan hinted the presidential initiative is made to lessen the public pressure on President Saleh. Especially after the recent price hikes, noting the amendments aim to grant President Saleh a new term of ten years by the end of the current term.

Commenting on Sa’ada events and the public grumbles, Qahtan pointed out the ruling authority has not realized yet that Yemen has become a large country and it still has a simple and narrow thinking limited to the tribe, family and clan at the risk of home.

Yemen Socialist Party’s Political Bureau member Ali Al-Sarari did not rule out the idea that President Saleh’s proposal is a tactic maneuver for keeping the existing political system. Despite the fact that such a tactics do not comply with the nature of Saleh’s ruling system.

Al-Sirari criticized harshly the absolute Presidential System as presented in the presidential initiative, saying that President Salah, by this system, aims to reach super-absolute power after he already had the absolute power.

“The problem for which the initiative was made is that President Saleh does not enjoy the absolute power, despite the fact he has all authorities in his hand and further is immunized against accountability and now he wants to immunize himself against criticism by laws like National Unity Protection Law,” said Al-Sarari.

Secretary General of Popular Forces Union Party Mohammed Al-Mutawkel disclosed the nature of the presidential system after he had met early with President Saleh.

Al-Mutawkel stated that President Saleh believes in canceling the post of the prime minister: giving himself the authority to form a government including six ministries: Foreign Ministry, Public Security, Finance Ministry, National Wealth Ministry and Planning; while the tasks of other ministries are delegated to the local governance authorities.

He insinuated that he did not see an integrated view as for the nature of the local and presidential systems by President Saleh or Local Administration Minister.

Lawyer and political activist Yassin Abdulrazzaq said there is nothing new in these amendments and they are just in an effort to detour the existence of any real reforms for the political system in the country.

Al-Sahwa.net, organ of opposition Islah Party quoted Abdulrazzaq as saying that President Saleh resorts to amendments whenever he sees his term is about to be finished, adding it seems that inheriting the reign has plunged into a close tunnel and thus Saleh tries to continue in power through making amendments.

Researcher Mohammed Al-Qahri asserted the initiative is politically hollow, as the articles relating to decentralization and Parliament do not suffice. While, at the same time, referendum is still adopted. He noted the proposal of the presidential system aims to keep the power in Saleh’s hands and his inheritors.

“Despite the fact that the economic aspect is the base for resolving the current crisis, the initiative is empty as it included no economic treatment and thus failed the dreams and trust of investors and consumers. Price hikes, unemployment and scarcity of commodities will remain existent…or the crisis will be worse and thus there will be more protests and the collapse of the economic situation,” declared Al-Qahri.

He went on to say, “The initiative is futile and it just helps to return back to the Yemen Arab Republic. And why not when unity was just viewed as an excursion wherein the wishes were fulfilled and when conditions became complex and the matter demanded responsibility and sacrifices, it is better to abandon it.”

Moreover, Al-Qahri viewed the solution in Saleh’s resignation and this something he rejects altogether even at the risk of secession. He further the option of secession is possible and it will be implemented politically while the responsibility will be laid on south through media, hinting there is no option for opposition save to join public protests as such protests are sign for ripeness in preparation for change.

SANA’A,
http://www.newsyemen.net/en/view_news.asp?sub_no=3_2007_09_30_6900
NewsYemen

Member of the High Authority of Islah party Mohammad Qahtan said that the initiative of president Ali Abdullah Saleh regarding new constitutional amendments and approving a new presidential system in the country “solves only his problems and gets him out of the impasse with the public issues after latest price hikes, but does not solve problems of people”.

The proposed constitutional amendments aim to give president Saleh more ten years in power, five years for each term, and after the term there will be new amendments etcetera, said Qahtan in a political forum in al-Hada’a district of Dhamar governorate on Saturday.

The regime’s way of thinking is still simple and limited. It has not realize yet that Yemen has become bigger and open, said Qahtan.

According to alsahwa-yemen.net, Qahtan confirmed the support of Joint Meeting Parties to requests of all retired, oppressed and those who have their rights violated. We appeal to rulers to reform the situations or to leave their posts”, said Qahtan.”we will continue to use all peaceful means until we get our requests met”.

My way or the highway

The GPC suspends dialogue with JMP
Tuesday, 02-October-2007
almotamar.net - An official source at the General People’s Congress (GPC)’s General Secretariat affirmed Tuesday that the GPC decided not to continue its dialogue with the Joint Meeting Parties unless the dialogue is based on the initiative of President Ali Abdullah Saleh.

The head of the Information Office of the GPC Tareq al-Shamy said the initiative of the president is basically manifested in constitutional amendments to transfer the political system to a new formulation whether at the central level or the local regarding the system of local rule. Subsequently, he added, it is logical that the constitutional amendments should be on top of the dialogue agenda as the discussion of any law depends in the first place on the constitution, the essential document and legislative reference to all laws, including the law of elections, the law of local rule and the rest of laws.

Tareq al-Shamy considered the statement issued by the JMP as an attempt for impeding the dialogue on the president of the republic’s initiative, stressing that the GPC (the ruling party) would not be dissuaded by attitude of the JMP’s stand from continuing its dialogue largely with the rest of political parties and organisations, civil society organisations and intellectual and cultural activities in the country and that stance is out of the GPC’s historical responsibility to the masses of the people who granted it their confidence in the presidential and local elections and the parliamentary elections and also out of respect for the democratic national process.