Political Impasse
http://www.yemenonline.info/news-887.html
Yemeni Parliament to receive political parties candidates for SCER tomorrow
YemenOnline- August 8,2008 - Well informed source declared to YemenOnline that the General People’s Congress (GPC) and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) will present a list of their candidates for membership of the Supreme Commission for Election and Referendum (SCER) to the parliament.According to the sources the list of the GPC and the NDA includes 9 of outstanding figures. It is also supposed that the opposition (Joint Meeting Parties) (JMP) would present to the parliament a 6-member list of candidates. The parliament would nominate 15 persons and refer their names to the President of the Republic who will issue a presidential decree of appointing only 9 of them as members of the SCER.Political observers commented that the agreement of between GPC and JMP of the formation of (SCER) will end 9 months of Disagreements
SANA’A, Aug. 5 — Despite an announced agreement between the ruling General People’s Congress and the Joint Meeting Parties on a government project to amend the Election Law presented to Parliament last week, the JMP-affiliated Socialist Party boycotted Tuesday’s Parliament sessions dedicated to discussing the amendments.
Further, the Socialist Party has determined to boycott all such parliamentary sessions until all political detainees are released and the situation in the southern governorates is resolved.
Member of Parliament Mohammed Saleh Al-Qubati, head of the Socialist parliamentary bloc and JMP spokesman, said, “It’s unreasonable to move forward regarding the elections without releasing these political detainees because this issue relates to all agreements and dialogue issues involving the ruling party.”
He continued, “Other unresolved issues remain under discussion, including the ‘relative list’ and women’s representation in Parliament, as well as the mechanism of casting votes in the Supreme Commission for Elections and Referendum.”
He pointed out that the Joint Meeting Parties demand that “voting within the [SCER] should be based on agreement and a majority on issues such as declaring election results and legislation.”
Al-Qubati further affirmed that they agree with the GPC to form the election commission from political parties, not judges, noting that choosing committee members will be the last point of discussion with the GPC in their bilateral meetings.
JMP and GPC sources confirm that the two sides reached an agreement on amending the Election Law after opposition parties previously threatened to boycott the upcoming April 2009 parliamentary elections if they don’t reach an agreement with the ruling party.
“GPC and JMP leaders agreed on the Election Law amendment suggested by the government,” reported Tariq Al-Shami, head of the GPC’s media circle, noting that the amendments include 30 articles and that there is “no disagreement in this regard between the two sides.”
The agreement between the JMP and the ruling party regarding the Election Law and the SCER stipulates that the JMP will have four members, including the head of the commission, while the GPC will have five members, according to a source wishing to remain anonymous.
The same source pointed out that the amendment project includes widening the scope of court appeals and promoting guarantees of impartiality in public works, finance and official media during election campaigns.
Further, he said the amendments include enhancing the current terms, which affirms the SCER’s independence and impartiality, and organizing election security, in addition to specifying a mechanism to form security committees as a responsibility of the SCER. However, JMP Supreme Council Chairman Abdulwahab Al-Anisi denies any dialog between the JMP and the ruling GPC, pointing out that what’s occurring is only “communication, not dialogue” because dialogue involves certain conditions differentiating “dialogue” from “communication.” “The failure of dialogue between the JMP and the GPC is a result of the derogatory manner in which the GPC treats such dialogue, as well as its lack of commitment to the results of such dialogue,” Al-Anisi concluded.
The political crisis over forming the Supreme Commission for Elections and Referendum (SCER) is still ongoing between the political forces represented in the ruling party, the General People Congress (GPC) and opposition parties, Joint Meeting Parties (JMP).
At the meantime, the ruling party is threatening to move on to form the SCER alone if opposition parties do not commit themselves to the scheduled time, especially when GPC signed agreements with what is known as the National Council for Opposition (NCO) including 13 parties.
In this regard, head of GPC Media Circle Tareq Al-Shami told the Yemen Post that the JMP delegated Islah party’s secretary general Abdul Wahab Al-Anesi to negotiate the matter on their behalf.
Al-Shami continued that they agreed on all points which had been a source of debate; however, the opposition does not want to set the measures for forming the SCER in an effort to hinder the political and democratic process in the country.
He also called JMP for a political reconciliation as for the measures and steps required for forming the SCER and setting the electoral mechanism and rules.
In return, JMP called for a wide national gathering for rescuing the country. This comes in an effort for intensifying their criticizing address against the ruling party. It also prompted Al-Anesi to describe it as party dominated by corrupt and rude.
Al-Anesi also described referring the amendment project of elections law before reaching an agreement with opposition forces to be one of the crisis which are unrecognized by the ruling party. He further referred to the South Yemen issue.
However, the last meeting resulted in forming a preparatory committee led by Sheikh Hamid Al-Ahmar together with other six members who are tasked with continuing the dialogue.
The intensification of opposition forces’ address comes in reaction to a meeting that involved the GPC’s General Committee headed by President Saleh last Thursday.
The meeting demanded the parliament members to speed up forming the SCER, especially when the forthcoming parliamentary elections are at the doorsteps; however, parliament has not held any serious sessions for discussing the project.
Opposition sources stated to the Yemen Post that the real opposition is that which has a representation in parliament, warning against playing with card of opposition under poor names referring in this to the coalition involving the GPC and NCO.
The GPC acting secretary general Abdul Rahman Al-Akwa’a revealed that his party is being pressurized and blackmailed by some political parties to force concessions in their side.
Al-Akwa’a warned against any attempts to delay the upcoming parliamentary elections, stressing such a delay poses a great danger to the democratic process.
