Armies of Liberation

The Ba’ath Party previously withdrew from the JMP prior to Yemen’s presidential election, around the time the JMP came out with the proposal to convert to a parliamentary system (Novemeber 2005 I think.) .

Yemen Post

The Arab Ba’ath Socialist party earlier this month presented a proposal to join the Joint Meeting Parties (JMP).

In a meeting held last Friday, the (JMP’s) Supreme Council agreed to accept on the Arab Ba’ath Socialist party’s proposal. This brings to six the number of the parties that currently form the oppositions (JMP).

In a press release of which sahwah.net received a copy of, the (JMP) Supreme Council Chairman Abdul Wahab Al-Anesi highly welcomed the Arab Ba’ath Socialist party to join (JMP), considering this a positive step in facing the upcoming challenges.

It further mentioned that (JMP) Supreme Council Chairman Abdul Wahab Al-Anesi praised the Arab Ba’ath Socialist party, mentioning its good work during the previous dialogues held by the People General Congress party (GPC) and the opposition parties.

Meanwhile, the report revealed that the meeting held by JMP and the Arab Baath Socialist Party criticized the government’s actions that aimed to turn down the party’s proposal to join the (JMP), considering this action by the ruling party a clear violation to its rights. It further condemned all forms of tampering and interfering headed by the (GPC) in the internal affairs of the opposition parties. It is worth mentioning that the Arab Ba’ath Socialist party was previously one of the most loyal parties to the ruling party.

The Joint Meeting Parties boycotted parliament sessions for one month in July, opposing the ruling party’s claim to form the Supreme Committee of Election and Referendum (SCER) according to their own agenda, assuring that such an act could add political and social tensions.

It further affirmed that such steps are early trends which will result in a non free parliamentary elections, which are supposed to be held early next year, demanding to reform the election system as a whole in accordance with the agreements signed between both sides, regarding SCER and recommendations suggested by the EU Election Observation Mission.

In order for the ruling party to put more pressure on the opposition JMP parties, it decided last month to form its own coalition of parties with the National Council for Opposition, Al-Ba’ath Arab Socialist National Party, Yemeni Association Party and Democratic September System. They all signed a strategic political coalition document, hoping that it could replace the JMP ‘s presence during the upcoming parliamentary elections.

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.”

(Read on …)

Cabinet refers election amendments to the parliament, JMPs reject them
Wednesday 30 July 2008 22ouWed, 30 Jul 2008 22:42:36 +0300 10 PM / Mareb Press

The Cabinet referred yesterday to the parliament a draft amendment of some articles of the law No. 13 for the year 2001 regarding the general elections and referendum in order to complete constitutional procedures.

The spokesmen of the opposition Join Meeting Parties (JMPs), Mohammed al-Qubati, confirmed the refusal of JMPs for the government’s approval for the election amendments.

“The election amendments approved and referred by the cabinet to the parliament represent only the viewpoint of ruling party. These amendments are rejected by the JMPs because they do not include the whole election system,” he said.

He added the JMPs demanded to integrally amend the election system.

“In the case, the amendments referred to the parliament they will be rejected by the JMPs’ parliamentarian block,” he added.

Al-Qubati accused the government and ruling party of avoiding implementing the agreements that ensure conducting fair and free democratic elections.

He denied holding dialogues between the JMPs and the General People’s Congress over this issue. He added there is a contact between them over other issues.

The amendment draft is mainly focusing expanding the issue of challenges and approving the right to challenges against candidates for parliamentary and local elections during the period of nomination in addition to guarantying impartiality in civil service, public property and official media during electoral campaigns.

The amendments also include approving the right to file complaints during the electoral process, enhancing the current legal texts that confirm independence and impartiality of the Election Supreme committee, organizing the security in the elections, expanding the local, international observation over the election and determining the rights and commitments of observers.

The GPC created an “opposition” coalition (including the Baath party which is headed by the President’s nephew*) in an effort to undermine the JMP. (The JMP although partially co-opted is partially not). However the new opposition are all regime allies who have come together under the lovely name “National Democratic Coalition”. Do we think the international community and western press will fall for this latest slight of hand? Maybe.

Saba News

PGC, opposition parties sign political coalition document

SANA’A, July 23 (Saba)- Ruling party People General Congress (PGC), Parties of National Council for Opposition, al-Ba’ath Arab Socialist National Party, Yemeni Association Party and Democratic September System signed on Wednesday a strategic political coalition document.

Vice President Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi, who signed the coalition document, called the National Democratic Coalition, for PGC part, expressed his great pleasure for holding this meeting that represents strategic political trend for serving national aims and Yemeni two revolutions’ goals.

The coalition document’s items included a number of public norms that stipulate on grasping Islam as a faith and legislation, protecting national bases toped by republican system, revolution and unity, and implementing law and constitution.

The document also affirms facing calls for separatism, sectarianism, regionalism and tribalism, and fighting all forms of false political and intellectual mobilizations harming national unity as well as fighting violence, extremism, terrorism, organized crime, all forms of hatred and seditions among Yemeni citizens and working on keeping social security and peace.

The document stipulates on activating role and activities of cultural, thinking, educational and information institutions in stabilizing unity, democracy and social justices as well hating violence, separation and hatred for improving national enlightenment among the people.

In addition to a number of mentioned conditions above and others, the parties have agreed on regulating parties law, especially committees, financial resources and bases of distributing government support among them.

*Yahya Mohammed Abdullah Saleh, head of the Central Security Forces, is president Saleh’s nephew. He is also the secretary general of the Yemeni Baath Party, according to the Yemen Observer, and hosted a condolences service after Saddam Hussain’s execution. Yahya Saleh heads an organization dedicated to supporting the Lebanese and Palestinian causes with charitable contributions, the Yemeni Public Committee to Support the Resistance. A symposium at Sanaa University organized by the Yemeni Popular Committee to Support Palestinian, Lebanon, Iraqi Resistance featured Sheikh Harith al-Dhari, head of the Iraqi Muslim Scholars Association, who is wanted in Iraq for colluding with insurgents, At the symposium in December 2006, Yahya Mohammed Abdullah Saleh, “praised the Iraqi resistance that could prove itself and cause loses to the occupation forces. He considered the siege imposed by the US on Iraq as a clear example of the hostility of the US and its allies,” al-Motamar, website of the GPC reported. Yahya Mohammed Abdullah Saleh is also chairman of the Yemeni Society of Tourism and Travel Agencies. And he’s head of the Progress and Advancement Forum.

The JMP, which is the actual political opposition not like that new fangled creation, must get on the ball. The Parliamentary election is in April and the SCER isn’t formed yet.

Yemen Online

Yemen Elections : JMP shouldn’t hold the elections hostage ” El-Erayni says

Dr.Abdul karim El-Eryani, Political Advisor of the Yemeni president and Second Vice-President of General People Congress (Ruling party) declared to YemenOnline that the elections and formation of the Supreme Commission For Elections & Referendum (SCER)are completely independent process . Joint Meeting Parties (JMP) shouldn’t hold the elections hostage because they have political problems with the government.Dr.El-Eryani has left the dialogue on the formation of SCER with JMP because they were insisted on linking elections to other issues not related to elections .

Yemen Times

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.

Protesting the hegemonic ruling pary’s unilateral decision to form the SCER (electional oversight) from appointed judges.

Sahwa Net – Yemen’s opposition, the Joint Meeting Parties, has been boycotting the parliament session, opposing the ruling party insistence to form the Supreme Committee of the Election and Referendum according to their own agenda, stressing that such act could exacerbate political and social tensions and end the remainder of the democratic margin.

It further affirmed that such steps are early inclinations to counterfeit the parliamentary elections to be hold in the early of the next year, demanding to reform the election system as a whole in accordance with the agreements singed between both sides regarding SECR and recommendations suggested by the EU Election Observation Mission.

The opposition’s parliamentary bloc had boycotted the parliament sessions a week ago protesting a draft presented by the ruling party to amend the election system individually.

The government bombing entirely flattened several villages. Hundreds of women and children forced to flee have no where to go.

IHT: Yemeni officials say government forces have beaten back an advance by northern rebels who brought their fight south to within 12 miles of the capital San’a over the past few days.

Until recently, the rebellion that began in 2004 had been concentrated in Saada province, close to the Saudi border more than 100 miles from the capital.

But in the last three days, government forces pounded a mountainous area near San’a around the village of Bani Heshiash to battle advancing rebels, tribal and local officials said Saturday, speaking on condition of anonymity because of security concerns.

The government put checkpoints on main streets in San’a, searched cars and questioned passengers while deploying armored vehicles to Bani Heshiash, 20 kilometers (12 miles) away.

Houthis requests JMP mediate:

Al-Houthis ask opposition to mediate Sa’ada war

Sana’a, May 31, 2008 (YemenOnline) – Al-Houthis reportedly requested opposition Joint Meeting Party (JMP) to mediate Sa’ada war between the Yemeni authorities and al-Houthis.

Opposition sources said that Saleh Habra, al-Houthis senior negotiator, called one of JMP leaders and asked the opposition to launch a mediation between the government and al-Houthis to end a four-year old war in Sa’ada.

The sources added that the JMP authorized one of its senior leaders to contact al-Houthis as a prelude to begin mediating Sa’ada war between the two parties.

Seven al-Houthis followers were arrested in Sana’a. State News Agency reported that the arrestees were plain-clothed security officials.

Yemen Observer

The GPC Political Secretary, Abdullah Ahmed Ghanim, announced that their meeting which was held last Thursday changed the governors’ election timetable. Formerly scheduled for April 27, the election will now take place at a later date in May. The ruling GPC’s general committee member said the committee decided to delay the April 27 date since the president decided to call for the election of local council bodies for the governors to take place in May.

Ghanim said that the governors’ elections postponement will allow time for finishing the election procedures, giving ample time for submitting nomination forms. It will also provide the necessary time for examining forms and their competence with the nomination law terms. The postponement also provides time for the obtainment of consent because the nominee should have the consent of at least ten percent of the electoral body, on condition that the number of nominees does not exceed ten persons in each governorate. The final time for elections will then be determined, followed by the vote’s count and result declaration. “We are going to have the right time and procedures,” the source said.

Ghanim pointed out that the GPC will be running the governors’ elections in all governorates, even in the al-Dale governorate in which the GPC has no local council majority.

It does, however, have a large representation of governorates and directorates at local council level. Ghanim expected that the parliament will determine the formation of the supreme election committee in May.

As a first reaction to the opposition, the JMP spokesperson, Dr. Mohammed Saleh al-Qubati, said that the approval of the governors’ election draft law by the ruling party majority is no more that humorous comedy. Marking serious drawbacks of the GPC’s leading authorities and their commitments, the JMP declared that they will accept either local governments or a fully authorized local governance.

Al-Qubati said that the authority and its ruling party’s trend in tackling the law amendment will contribute to escalating present crises.

As spokesperson for the JMP, al-Qubati announced their refusal to accept the local authority’s draft to amend the law concerning governors’ elections, declaring that there is no point in joining such mock elections which are tailored to the ruling party.

Mareb Press

A decree banning protests in Yemen has left the country in an “undeclared state of emergency” according to opposition parties that can no longer take to the street without prior permission from the government.

The decree was issued last week by the country’s highest defence council, chaired by President Ali Abdullah Saleh, after a series of protests demanding “genuine reforms” in southern provinces led to riots and violence.

Two days after the decree, Saleh issued another setting the date of 27 April for electing the chiefs of the country’s 22 provinces instead of appointing them — an attempt to show flexibility in giving more powers to provinces, especially those of the south where some protesters over the last few months were demanding secession.

The opposition alliance, Islamists, Socialists and Nasserites, has refused such measures demanding serious solutions to the country’s problems. Hundreds were arrested over the last few weeks when the government used force to quell riots in more than three southern provinces. “Using force will make things even worse. Using force has failed in the past,” read a statement issued Monday by the three main opposition parties.

The Yemeni government accuses the three main opposition parties of incitement via protests that began about one year and a half ago when thousands of retired military and security individuals took to streets complaining they were ousted from their posts after the civil war of 1994. The opposition says it supports only peaceful protests that seek solutions to the lasting effects of the 1994 war in the framework of national unity.

The retired and jobless protesters, however, though affiliated mostly to the Socialist Party, are apparently in disagreement with most political opposition parties that call for preservation of national unity. In some protests, the retired and jobless, or the “Southern Movement” as they call themselves, used slogans that eschew unity. They also clashed with opposition Islamist and socialist and Nasserist figures that call for peaceful struggle.

Yemeni Minister of Interior Rashad Al-Alimi, when summoned by parliament last week to account for developments in the south, accused Yemeni expatriates living abroad of supporting anti-unity protesters. The government said it would put on trial all those involved in breaking the law by inciting riots and acts of sabotage.

Dialogue between the government and opposition remains at a standstill. The two sides have been trading accusations over the deteriorating situation, including armed rebellion in the north and rising prices in general.

The opposition alliance boycotted last Thursday a meeting held by Saleh in the presidential palace with the aim of addressing the causes of protest in the south. President Saleh in turn accused the opposition of spreading a “culture of hatred” and of attempting to block his reform programme which he vowed to implement after winning the 2006 presidential elections.

The opposition accuse Saleh of excluding them as partners in the political process and threatening “the peaceful democratic project” by resorting to the use of state force.

26 September Net

Yemeni parliament approved on Wednesday with majority amendments of some articles of the local authority draft law concerning election of provinces governors.

The MPs backed down from amending the phrase that the government asked on Tuesday to be debated again on Wednesday. The phrase stipulates the candidate to the post of governor should be registered in the elector record of the province and the parliament voted with majority on the text as presented by the government, stipulating that the candidate must be resident in the governorate or his work place is there or it is the place of residency of his family.

(Read on …)

Yemen Times

- Laborers protest at Marib governorate’s premises, accusing ruling party of rigging trade union’s votes

Tens of public sector workers gathered on Monday before Marib governorate’s premises protesting against the ruling party for allegedly rigging trade union elections that took place in the governorate, the weekly reported in one of its front page stories. It added that the Marib local authority ordered tens of security and military soldiers to take control of the hall where the election was held, following withdrawal of the protesters, who challenged integrity of the election and neutrality of the supervisory committee in charge of overseeing the electoral process.

According to the weekly, the protesters also demanded the competent authorities in the government to take firm procedures against those accused of rigging the vote and committing other illegal violations with the intention of manipulating the vote result in favor of the ruling party.

Despite two of the supervisory committee members quit as a result of the challenges presented by the protesters, branch of the General People Congress in the governorate continued its activities and manipulated the vote result in favor of its candidates. The Ishteraki.net correspondent in Marib mentioned that the protestors staged a peaceful demonstration after they withdrew from the election conference, adding that they didn’t involve in clashes with policemen.

The weekly quoted a protestor as saying that there are individuals, who were appointed by the ruling party as agents for its candidates, however, they don’t work in the governorate, pointing out that the party also appointed ghost workers.

What happened, the JMP ran away when the protesters started seperatist chants?

JMP puts off massive protest, Alshawa.net

March 6, 2008 – The Joint Meeting Parties put off its massive protest which was set to be held on Thursday in Al Dhala province due to attempts spurred by the authorities to draw the grassroots into clashes and violent acts.

The spokesman of JMP Mohammad al-Sabri said that the protesting activity was delayed in order to avoid bloodshed, pointing out that JMP would go on its peaceful activates against corruption and separation.

The executive body of JMP held the security authorities responsible of the attempts which hampered its peaceful activities.

The protest aimed to demand the southerners’ grievances, human rights and fighting corruption.

Yemeni President blasts opposition parties Mareb Press–Gulf News Sana’a:

Last Thursday, the three main opposition parties, Islamists, Socialists and Nasserites, abandoned a big rally in the south.

Minutes after it started a group of people carrying the flags of the former south Yemen stormed the rally in Al Dahale’e.

The opposition is sometimes accused of encouraging protests in the south where retired military and security soldiers have been using slogans against national unity while demanding their rights since early last year.

SOMETIMES he has to act as President of the country first, and leader of the party second. But in this case, I wonder what issues they were discussing.

SANA’A, NewsYemen

A leading source in the ruling General People’s Congress party (GPC) has disclosed that president Saleh has met with opposition leaders before leaving to Turkey without the participation of GPC leaders.

The source said some members of the GPC’s General Committee are discontent with the president’s meeting with opposition that came one day after the committee’s decision to stop any dialogue with opposition.

“We have been surprised over the meeting between president Saleh and leaders in the Joint Meeting Parties on Friday. We could not discuss that because of president’s travel” said the source.

Source in the JMP have confirmed the meeting between president Saleh and leaders from Islamic Islah, Yemeni Socialist Party and Yemeni Nasserite Party. It told NY that a heated discussion occurred between president Saleh and the acting head of Islah’s High Authority Mohammed al-Yadumi. It said that president Saleh and opposition leaders have agreed to continue dialogue on national issues before parliamentary elections in 2009.

Mareb Press:

The Supreme Council of the Opposition Joint Meeting Parties (JMPs) demanded the government to reveal the content of the Qatar brokered agreement with AlHouthi.

The Prime Minister, Ali Mojour, said during his meeting with representatives from the JMPs, that the agreement which was signed in Doha was secret.

The JMP said, “This does not go with the constitutional duties of the government and the constitutional rights of the citizens and the parliament that authorized the government to use force in March 2007, to know the nature of the agreement.”

The JMPs supreme council condemned in a press release the deliberate negligence of the official media for the JMPs’ letter directed to the president last Wednesday about its vision and position towards the recent developments in Sa’ada.

The JMPs confirmed its support for any national effort aimed to shed the blood of Yemenis.

The council expressed its wonder from the language used against JMPs in the official media confirming that the national positions of the JMPs did not need to be certified by the authority. It added that the authority should respect the partnership with the opposition.

The JMPs added, “The words and language used by the official media show the totalitarian mentality of the party and the authority which cares only in facing the national problems about the support of parties for its wrong policies and this was rejected by JMPs since long time.”

The JMPs also condemned the republication of cartoons insulting Prophet Mohammed peace be upon him in 17 Danish newspapers. The JMPs called the international community for criminalizing the insults against all religions and prophets.

Yemen Times

SA’ADA, Feb. 17 — The new mediation committee, comprised of eight Qatari military officers and conflict management experts and chaired by Qatar’s Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Saif Muqaddam Bin Saqr Abu Al-Ainein, held a meeting with military and security commanders on Saturday in the Sa’ada provincial capital-based Republican Palace, said reliable sources from Sa’ada governorate. The sources added that the government and Houthis both made painful concessions to end ongoing confrontations.

(Read on …)

Gee, the way the GPC is reacting you would think that the US and Yemen were enemies instead of the close allies we are purported to be. Something akin to Nacy Pelosi in Syria…

What American recent developments?

Yemeni organisation condemns JMP meeting with the US ambassador
Tuesday, 19-February-2008

http://www.almotamar.net/en/4255.htm
almotamar.net - The Yemeni organisation against seeking courage from outside on Monday condemned the meeting that grouped leaders of the Joint Meeting Parities (JMP) with the US ambassador to Yemen and his deputy and the national issues discussed in the meeting that the JMP media considered as the American recent developments regarding Yemen.

While the organisation condemned the meeting held at the headquarters of the Yemen Socialist Party (YSP) it has demanded the JMP to explain the American recent developments, and considered that meeting as continuation of the JMP in engaging the foreign circles in engaging foreign circles in Yemeni national issues.

The organisation’s statement mentioned that it would have been better for those leaderships putting what they have of visions in a national frame whether at the level of the political leaderships or the representatives at the constitutional establishments.
The statement added that despite “we do not know about what was in the agenda of the American ambassador we affirm that the meeting would represent a black mark against parties founded according to the constitution and the law and they are supposed to embody the national interests in all of their activities.” The organisation also warned against continuing of those conducts ands asked all the good people of the political forces and civil society organizations to stand against such acts that would work to hostage the homeland and its higher interests to foreign powers and their ambitions and illegal interests.

bwahahaha

I like especially the Greenpeace party and the clone of the PFU.

al-Motamar: GPC meets with “Oppposition”

The meeting grouped leaderships of political parties and organisations of the GPC, Sons of Yemen League, Arab Baath Socialist , September Democratic Organisation, Yemeni Unionist Assembly, People’s Unionist Liberation, Social Greenpeace , People’s Democratic, Liberation Front Party, Democratic Union of People’s forces, Nationalist Social Party and People’s Unity Party.

Tending toward a one party state continues

almotamar.net - In a dialogue session on Saturday presided over by the General People’s Congress (GPC) Secretary General Abdulqader Bajammal, 13 Yemeni political [parties and organisations affirmed their commitment to what had been signed in the agreement of principles which was signed by political parties and organisations in June 2006 concerning the supreme commission for election, stressing their keenness on importance of adhering to the constitutional and legal principles and political action.

The dialogue meeting on Saturday has discussed a proposal for amending article 19 pertaining to the financial support and assistance of the political parties and organisations for strengthening their situations and allotting of no less than 25% of government allocations to be distributed on equal basis among all the parties and distribution of the 75% according to the votes that each party has gained in the latest parliamentary elections.

The meeting also discussed a suggestion on amending article 13 regarding the formation of the parties and organisations committee. The discussion also included a new proposal on re-formation of the political parties and organisations’ committee and the proposal demanded that the parties committee should be composed of seven members chaired by the state minister for the affairs of the parliament and the shoura council and the membership of two members chosen by the Supreme Judiciary Council, two members selected by the shoura council and two members chosen by the lawyers union.

The meeting has also discussed a proposal of amending article 9 so that the article should be drafted in a way achieving larger concept and bigger practice of democracy and internal life of the political parties and organisations and on condition that all political parties and organisations should play educational and training role for development of concepts and visions in the democratic work and activities inside the parties in particular and the political life in the country in general.

ADEN, NewsYemen

Aden is expected to host next on January 13 a massive rally for “tolerance and reconciliation among people in southern Yemen.”

Leaderships in southern provinces and military and civilian retirees and jobless associations have agreed to hold the event to enhance tolerance and reconciliation in south, Ali Monasar, head of Joint Meeting Parties’ office in Aden, secretary of Yemeni Socialist Party’s office in Aden, head of the Preparatory Committee, told NY.

“We have called all people and politicians to take part in this event, we did not except anyone,” said Monasar.

NY was informed that some leaders do not want Monasar to head the Preparatory Committee because he heads the Joint Meeting Parties’ office.

Member of the Retirees Associations Coordination Council, Ali al-Shaibah, denied such disagreement. “All have their own vision to make the event a success, and this is the most important point,” said al-Shaibah. “Our talks with opposition parties serve the south issue and our legal requests. We welcome the participation of those parties and their support, however, we refuse to be exploited by any political powers to agitate the regime”.

What? The SCER? Where did it come from? Is it the judges?

Al-Motamar
almotamar.net - The Supreme Commission for Elections and Referendum (SCER) has already begun technical supplies for the upcoming parliamentary elections scheduled in Yemen in April 2009.

Secretary General of the SCER Shaef al-Husseini on Thursday has made it clear that at the present the commission is drawing up ideas on needs of technical and material requisites and preparation of budgets for the first stage of the next democratic process such as electorate registration that requires preparation for it six months ahead of the polling day.

Al-Husseini added that the SCER practices its duties and work according to the law that authorizes its general secretariat to take care of financial and administrative works.

Al-Shaef pointed out that the SCER and its branches in the governorates will begin preparing the stage through counting and assessment of what is existing and complete needs at all constituencies and committees.

Related: Yemen Times oped on the NDI report on the last election.

Wonders of the NDI’s report have no limit. When the reader believes that the report has already closed the file of conflicts between SCER and opposition parties, he/she will be shocked to see the report discussing the same issue once again. The way the report is written reminds readers of the former Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Sana’a Nabeel Khoury who completed his assignment in Yemen a few months ago. Khoury confused many observers who did not know whether he is a deputy chief of mission at the Yemeni Embassy in Washington, a deputy chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy here in Sana’a or a representative of the Pope.

Those who prepared the NDI’s report seem to have forgotten the efforts exercised by the International Foundation for Election Systems (IFES), specialized in electoral affairs, its lengthy reports and the agreed-upon recommendations, which the ruler left in the drawers.

Part of the report concerned with SCER has reminded people of the behavior of Mr. Abdu Al-Janadi, SCER member. This part reads, “The electoral process was managed in a relatively good manner, however, SCER’s performance in preparing and organizing the elections was better than its performance in the area of preventing and correcting violations that occurred during the implementation process.

NDI knows more:

In the part devoted to the election results, the report celebrates the GPC landslide victory in the elections by saying, “Regarding the local council elections, GPC won 85 percent of the seats at the governorate level and 79 percent of the seats at the district level while Islah, which is the strongest opposition party in Yemen, obtained only 7 percent of the governorate seats and 12 percent of the district seats and YSP got only 2 percent of the seats at the governorate level and 3 percent at the district level. The result is totally different from that of 2001 election when GPC got 58.5 percent of the governorate seats and 85.6 percent of the district seats. In that election, the Islah party won 20.4 of the seats at the governorate level and 23.3 percent at the district level while YPS obtained 3.8 and 3.2 percent of the local council seats in the governorates and districts respectively.”

In order not to raise questions about integrity of the elections and NDI, the report gave a scientific reason to such a democratic victory, attributing the low number of votes obtained by Islah and YPS to the inadequate use of resources, as well as the lack of training and organization for their local council candidates. It did not indicate that the election system in Yemen hinders win of opposition candidates.

I’m unclear on the JMP’s conceptualization of an equitable mechanism for forming the SCER. 50/50 Between the GPC and JMP?

Amending election law includes formation of the election commission
Sunday, 25-November-2007
almotamar.net - Chairman of the parliamentary constitutional and legal affairs committee Ali Abu Hlaiqa read out Sunday the government request for amending some articles of the general election and referendum law for 2001.

Meanwhile the opposition member of parliament Sultan al-Attwani refused that one of members of parliament to present the government’s request of the amendments. The opposition MP said the government has two ministers who are the minister of parliament and Shoura council affairs and the minister of legal affairs and they should have been present to present the request to the parliament and he also expressed his opposition of the draft amendments.

Deputy chairman of the General People’s Congress (GPC) parliamentary bloc Yasser al-Awadhi asserted on his part that the parliament is the master of its decision, indicating that the parliament has issued a decision giving the political parties one week grace period to agree on he supreme commission for elections, calling on the members of parliament to undertake their constitutional and legal duty.

(Read on …)

Al-Sahwa:

Jurists and politicians: ‘SCER is failed and non-neutral’ November 18, 2007- Yemeni Jurists and politicians have demanded to change the current electoral system, pointing out that the outgoing Supreme Committee for Elections and Referendum which its legal term ended last Friday was the reasons behind the imbalance of the democratic process in Yemen.

They further depicted this SCER as the worst in Yemen’s history, affirming that it is one of the main troubles hinder the democratic process.

“It devoted during its term tribe influence instead of parties and was a cause to forgery and legal violations” They told “alsahwa.net “.

Head of the Islah’s electoral office, Ibrahim al-Hair, said that the committee failed in three main points; its ultimate bias to the ruling party, its failure to impose order and its inability to benefit from international fund for elections.

“SCER failed to provide adequate electoral environment and appeared absolutely biased to the ruling party” added al-Hair.

He also said that the coming SCER would face big difficulties as a result of the last one’s terrible legacy.

For his part, the senior leader of the Yemeni Socialist Party, Ali al-Sarari, said that SCER was not balanced in managing elections and the opposition parties’ participation could not also promote its performance as the ruling party firmly controls its base.

Meanwhile, the Nasserite leader, Yassin abdul-Razaq said that the current SCER made a wide gap in voter registration and enable the authorities to achieve its purposes and counterfeit.

He emphasized that SCER dealt with oppositions’ political forces as opponent, considering political future of the country lies on reforming it.

Jurist and activist Khalid al-Ansi confirmed that SCER was not independent and was clearly biased to the ruling party.

The professor of political science in Sana’a University, Dr. Abdullah al-Faqih suggested formation of a new SCER, equally divided between the ruling party and the opposition.

SANA’A, NewsYemen

The Joint Meeting Parties (JMP) said the decision of the majority in the Parliament to give parties an indulgence for one week to reshuffle the Supreme Elections Committee is not the right of the majority belongs to the General People’s Congress.

The Parliament has not the right to take such a decision because the article 36 of elections law assigns the secretary-general of the Supreme Elections Committee to run its affairs, said the JMP’s spokesman Mohammad al-Sabri.

If the majority, which belongs to the ruling party, is interested in solving national issues, it should blame the ruling party for impeding political dialogue with opposition parties, not to put the ball in opposition’s court, al-Sabri told NewsYemen.

He said that reforming the Supreme Elections Committee is a national issue and all should openly address it apart from pressure and threats.

Al-Sabri said the JMP is discussing the issue of the elections committee as a national request to guarantee more candid elections, calling all parties to shoulder their responsibilities.

The Parliament decided yesterday to await the results of dialogue between political parties represented in the Parliament over reshuffling the elections committee despite the legal time of dialogue came to end Friday.

The General People’s Congress party, the ruling party, has the majority of seats in the Parliament after parliamentary elections in 2003.

Yemen Times

ADEN, Nov. 7 — Thousands of citizens gathered on Monday for a huge protest to express solidarity with oppressed citizens and demand that authorities address a variety of social and political issues in the Yafe’ district, of Aden governorate. The angry protestors resolved to continue the peaceful sit-ins until all the citizens’ demands are met and appealed to different social groups, and local and international NGOs stand against authorities’ arbitrary practices against peaceful protests.

Representative of Joint Meeting Parties Abdulkhaleq Bin Shaihun, who is also a member of Parliament, confirmed in a speech before the rally that the JMP is ready to back all demands raised by the Yemeni people advocating reform, adding that the opposition bloc will support their peaceful protests. All the speeches given at the rally unanimously agreed to continue peaceful sit-ins, denounce any arbitrary use of force against demonstrations and express solidarity with families of the dead and injured.

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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.

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there ya go

Quotas or Closed Constituencies, either way

Yemen Times Political Parties rejected the Quota System as a solution to ensure women’s representation in the elections. As a consequence female activists threatened to retaliate by withdrawing from coming elections as candidates, but most importantly as voters.

SANA’A, September 9 — Yemeni women should not be influenced by western concepts, such as the quota system, and want to change their lives accordingly. This was the reaction of political parties to female activists demanding a quota of 30% in the coming parliamentary elections 2009. The debate was part of the Second Democracy Forum organized by Sisters Arab Forum for Human Rights in cooperation with National Endowment Development. NGOs representatives and members of the Democracy Forum challenged the political parties’ that as they used women as voters, they must allow them a chance through positive discrimination as candidates.

“Resolving women issues should not be based on a Western concept instead it should be based on Islamic values stemming from the Islamic history,” said Abdulwahab Al-Anisi, Secretary General of the Al-Islah conservative party. He stressed on rejecting the ideas coming from the west as they create ethical ciaos and referred to how the situation for western women is miserable supporting his argument with the statistics of harassment and rape in the western countries.

Frustrated by this attitude, Intisar Sinan, director of the political component of the Woman National Committee said: “This is not acceptable at all. Let us try the quota system and if it does not work we’ll try something else.” She added that democracy as many other concepts have been adopted through western influence so why should the Quota System be any different.

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August 28, 2007- Thousands of people in the Yemeni capital, Sana’a, rallied before the cabinet ,protesting soaring prices ,deteriorated public services, violating of rights and freedoms and mistaken policies adopted by the ruling party’s consequent governments.

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Thats quite a turn out.

News Yemen

TAIZ, NewsYemen

While leaders of opposition parties, Joint Meeting Parties, try to gather their supporters in Taiz province for more protests against what they said “price hikes, corruption and low level of services, leaders in the General People’s Congress accused them of provoking people and seeking to make riots so that investors think that Yemen is not stable.

The JMP’s office in Taiz stated that people ran to the streets to peacefully raise the slogan “No Life Without Water”, “Stop Fatal Price Hikes” and “No New Yemen With Corruption”.

The protest was safe, but some leaders in the GPC have shown anger with it, especially at the time Yemenis streets witness protests in different places of the country against different issues.

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Al-Sahwa June 16, 2007- The joint Meeting Parties are setting up wide-ranging meetings with citizens in Ibb and al-Dhalie provinces.

On Friday, the prominent parliament, Hamid al-Ahmer , delivered a speech before the masses crowded in al-Dhalie province in which he thanked them to their warm supports to JMP in the last presidential and local elections .

Al-Ahemer further lauded the positive roles of the Yemeni Social party in all stages, pointing out that the ruling party had sought to weaken and marginalize it.

For his part, the spokesman of JMP, Mohammad al-Sabri said in the festival that the ruling corrupt and despotic elite wants to rule the state and possess it.

” We say to this group that this people has the right to live like all other peoples all over the world and that we could extract our rights with peaceful struggle ” he added .

He affirmed that al-Dhalie’s citizens were brave in the last presidential and local council elections when they elected JMP members, stressing that JMP would not allow corruption to further spread and would work to put an end to it with all possible means.

Another YT oped

I was truly shocked by the threats and abuses that Mohammed al-Sabri, spokesman of the opposition coalition has been receiving through the last two weeks. I personally saw some of the badmouthing sent through a mobile. It is really awful and disgusting to see such insulting messages. I felt completely sad about the future of this country. It is a substantial degradation of the political drive in the country.

After each statement the spokesman makes, he receives similar insulting messages from the same number. The messages show that the sender is angry with the press statements regarding several issues. He is not an ordinary man but someone who is politically motivated and is angered by such statements. Whom do you think? Can you sort out this puzzle?

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YO

The members and leaders of the Joint Meeting Parties met this week to express their happiness on the occasion of the 17th anniversary of national unity.But their pleasure in unification is currently overwhelmed by sorrowful feelings about the various problems currently facing the country, including the war up north in Sa’ada, and the absence of completion of many of the goals of unification, they said.The JMP’s celebration of national unity was held in Sana’a in the building of the Yemeni Socialist Party on Thursday, April 24.

The celebration was held under the slogan “Yemeni Unification is the Victory of the People’s Will, and the Means to Achieve Justice and Equality.” The celebration was attended by the leaderships of the JMP parties, the supreme council of JMP, the national opposition, parliamentary members, politicians and civil society organizations.“This celebration indicated and carried special feelings for this holy occasion. But this celebration is also full of corruption and hypocrisy.

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