Yemeni Opposition MPs Continue Boycott of Parliament
SANA’A, July 2 — Parliament last Tuesday approved suspending discussion on a project to amend a law regarding the Supreme Commission for Elections and Referendum in order to achieve political agreement between Yemen’s main parties within the formation of such committee.
The government proposed a project last November to amend the election law to stipulate that committee members be judges, which caused reservations within the Joint Meeting Parties, who demanded the committee be comprised of politicians, based upon party-agreed principles. However, the ruling General People’s Congress suggests the committee be formed in accordance with the number of voters in the April 2003 parliamentary elections.
The state-run Saba News Agency reports that the Yemeni Parliament – in which the GPC holds 229 out of 301 seats – approved suspending discussion of the project to amend the public election law “out of its belief regarding the importance of political agreement and achieving the nation’s supreme interests, as the involved parties and political organizations continue the process of political dialog.”
It also pointed out that Parliament expressed its sorrow at the absence of JMP parliamentary bloc members from Parliament sessions, claiming they changed their decision regarding boycotting Parliament.
JMP parliamentary bloc members have been boycotting such sessions since June 9 in protest against the amendment project’s placement on Parliament’s schedule.
Update: And they’re back.
Changed their minds, made a deal: Sahwa Net –parliamentary blocs of the Yemeni opposition have declared ending of their boycott to the parliament’s sessions in return of the ruling party abandoning to discuss a draft which through it was intending to pass an election law solely using its majority. They achieved consensus on 60% of the issues the GPC reports.
