Armies of Liberation

The regime exploits the terror attacks every time, on the home front and abroad.

Almotamar.net - Assistant Secretary General of the General People’s Congress (GPC) for Information Sector Dr Ahmed Ubaid Bin Daghr said Friday the current stage is characterized Assistant Secretary General of the General People’s Congress for Information Sector Dr Ahmed Ubaid Bin Daghr said Friday the current stage has different characteristics and it is object to discussion and exchange of opinions among political leaderships in the arena.

(Read on …)

News Yemen

The Supreme Council of the Joint Meeting Parties announced it would neither boycott the coming parliamentarian elections in April 2009 nor run the election “with conditions set by the ruling GPC.”

Chairman of the council Abdul-Wahab al-Anisi said at a press conference, held on Sunday at the headquarters of the Yemeni Socialist Party, the rejection of election law amendments by GPC was “coup against democratic margin in the country.”

(Read on …)

propagnda machine revs up

the GPC journalists are getting a raise, non-governmental journalists earn as little as $100/month

Plenary meeting for the GPC media men expected to be attended by about 400
Monday, 18-August-2008 al-Motamar: Under patronage of president Ali Abdullah Saleh , President of the General People’s Congress (GPC) a plenary media meeting will be held on Tuesday with participation of GPC media men working for the different media instruments of the GPC, and those working for the media and press of the political parties members in the national alliance.

An official source at the GPC sector for intellect, culture and information has made it clear that that the meeting to be attended by more than 400 journalists aims at assessing and unifying the information address of the GPC in the present stage in pursuit of achieving the national and organisational strategies undertaken by the GPC and contributing to winning development dues, enhancing the role of the media t6hat defends the national gains and democratic process.

The source said this organisational demonstration constitutes a tradition that the GPC would hold in a periodical manner that would help enhance bonds of communication and guarantee periodical assessment of the GPC press performance. The source added the participants would discuss a group of organisational documents and studies concerned with information and means for enhancing its national message that expresses hopes and ambitions of the Yemeni people who granted the GPC their confidence in parliamentary, presidential and local elections.

The meeting is also going to discuss a number of organisational, national and professional concerns in the manner serving to raise the level of media performance and preserve rights of journalists as well the professional legislations organizing the relations among all communication parties.

The source also expects that the meeting will come out with a strategic vision regarding the information address of the GPC and resolutions and recommendations accommodating all visions and treatments and means of developing the professional performance of the GPC press.

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 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 .

SNACC to refer 1000 officials to prosecution

[05 July 2008]

SANA’A, July 05 (Saba) - The Supreme National Authority for Combating Corruption (SNACC) threatened 1000 governmental officials to be referred to the public prosecution due to not submitting their financial disclosures to the authority.

The head of the Financial Disclosure Sector at the SNACC Mohammad al-Matari said that the authority sent last week messages to 1000 officials in more than 12 ministries indicating to their financial disclosures’ delay, the GPC-run almoatamr.net stated Saturday.

In strongly worded messages, the authority gave a week for those officials to submit their financial disclosures, otherwise it will refer them to the prosecution on charge of refusing implementing the Financial Disclosures Law.

Worth mentioning, SNACC received till the middle of last June 2400 financial disclosures for officials from various government bodies.

Bajammal’s Office Director killed by Hamid al-Ahmar’s bodyguards? Its a developing story….
al-Motamar

Almotamar.net - Medical sources have said Friday that Ali Atif, director of the General People’s Congress (GPC) ’s Secretary General Abdulqader Bajammal’s Office died Friday of wounds he received after he came under gunfire attack by gunmen in the capital Sana’a on Thursday evening.

The sources said that that Ali Atif died before reaching the Saudi German Hospital that he was taken after gunfire he came under hitting him in parts close to the heart. In an incident of shooting fire at the area of Hada in the capital. With him in the incident was Industry and Trade Undersecretary Salem Salman, who occupies also the post of the Deputy Head of External Relations Office at the GPC. Mr Salman is still at the hospital under treatment of his wounds.

Eyewitnesses present at the hospital said the Minister of Industry and Trade Dr Abdulkarim Rasie visited the hospital Friday to ask about the health condition of Salem Salman.

The brother of Salem Salman earlier accused bodyguards of Sheikh Hamid al-Ahmar of opening fire in the incident that caused the wounding of his brother and the death of the director of Bajammal office. Security sources that exchange of fire led to the injury of two of sheikh al-Ahmar bodyguards.

Islah: “could happen to anyone”

Yemen Post: Sources close to Islah Party leader Sheikh Hamid Al-Ahmar told the Yemen Post that his special escort Mohammed Al-Quataish died on Saturday evening of wounds he sustained in an exchange of fire incident.

Manager of the ruling party’s secretary general Ali Atef was shot in the same incident that occurred on Thursday and his fellow Salim Mohammed Salman, also a deputy minister in the Ministry of Industry and Trade, was injured as well.

Presidential directives ordered transferring him to India to meet treatment there and sources refused to give details about the incident that involved Al-Ahmar’s guards on one hand and Atef and Salman on the other.

However, the sources blamed the incident on altercation between the guards and Atef in Hadda area of the capital, hinting that another Al-Ahmar’s guard, charged with guarding the house adjoining Atef’s house, was injured as well.

In a statement released on Saturday, the General People Congress (GPC) denounced the attack and described it as a criminal act outside the law.

The statement also noted that Atef was once one of the outstanding leaders and cadres of GPC and demanded the Ministry of Interior and security apparatuses to hunt after the perpetrators and to hold them into account.

In its statement, Islah party denounced politicizing the matter, stressing it a habitual crime that could happen with anyone.

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.

Something like pro-government demonstrations in North Korea and Cuba:

Aden governor attacks opposition over boycotting governors’ election
Sunday 27 April 2008 / Mareb Press

Some Yemeni governorates have witnessed today mass demonstrations and festivals in the occasion of the Democracy Day, the 27th of April.

Aden province was one of the provinces which witnessed mass demonstrations and festivals, the governor of Aden, Ahmed al-Kahlani, said in his speech that “The local elections are considered a step to shut the mouths of those who oppose the development in Yemen and to stop the hostile policies of some opposition parties.”

He said, “The decision of opposition parties regarding boycotting the elections of governors reflects the contradiction between these parties and their political and electoral programmes.”

Thousands of university and school students and governmental employees gathered today in Aden. Some of them told Mareb Press that they were forced to participate in this festival in return of receiving their salary for April.

Meanwhile, Ibb and Abyan provinces witnessed festivals to observe the Democracy Day. The festivals were organized by political parties, social organizations, and civil society organizations in the provinces.

Also, some thousands of people in al-Dhale province attended the festival which was organized by ruling General People’s Congress in the province in the Unity field to observe the Democracy Day.

Yemen Online

Sana’a, April 19, 2008 - Several government funded weeklies are launching a media campaign against Minister of local Administration, Abdulqader Hilal accusing him of corruption and leaking information to the opposition.

These newspapers reported that some government officials are working to prosecute minister Hilal for corruption charges and for leaking information to the opposition Joint Meeting Party (JMP).

The papers did not said what sort of information Hilal revealed to the opposition parties.

According to the newspapers Hilal is financing the so-called separation movement in the south.

Taiz-based A-Gomhoria government daily published an “alleged” interview with minister Hilal several days ago in which the paper “on behalf’s of Hilal” attacked political parties in the country.

The newspaper published and apology after Hilal denied that he did the interview and explained that the text of the interview was sent to the newspaper by a reporter working for the defense ministry-funded 26 September weekly.

A source close to minister Hilal expressed surprise over the media campaign government-funded media outlets are launching against Hilal. The source said that in protest minister Hilal is staying at home these days.

Minister Hilal enjoys good reputation and popularity mainly amidst people of the south. He served as southern Hadramawt governor before he assumes his current position as the minister of local administration.

Yemen Post

Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Saleh Basurah called on dignitaries and social personalities not to exercise more pressure on state to establish new universities, hinting that any expansion in this respect does not serve the development.

Basurah hinted the existing universities have not yet set completely their infra-structure and buildings, adding that his ministry is working at the present time on the preparing higher education law draft which will be referred to the cabinet next month.

Likewise, the ministry is working on academic accreditation system and quality assurance which will be applied on both government and private universities, calling for the establishment of more community colleges instead of universities.

Meanwhile, Basurah threaten to disclose the practices of high-ranking officials and some members of parliament who exercise pressure on his ministry to distribute scholarships for those who do not deserve them and in a way that does not serve the country.

In a meeting involving the anti-corruption authority and Minister of Finance Noman Al-Suhaibi by the end of the last week, Basurah threatened to resign from his post in case he is sued for errors committed by others.

Sources pointed out that Basurah asked the anti-corruption authority to help him rid of the interferences of high-ranking officials in running his ministry’s affairs, or otherwise he would expose the secrets on any satellite channel.

For their part, the anti-corruption authority demanded Basurah to hand in the file of financial and cultural attaches abroad including the attaches of Jordan and Malaysia who failed to submit a financial disclosures.

By the end of the meeting, officials ordered withholding the allocations of all attaches who have not presented their financial disclosures. They also asked for take serious measures against those who delay the payment of students’ money together with starting payment right from the next year through the Ministry of Higher Education only.

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 …)

Kudos to the SNACA for addressing the issue. Where did the money go? That’s a lot of money.

al-Motamar

Almotamar.net - The Supreme National Anti-Corruption Authority (SNACA) gave Yemeni cultural attaches in Yemeni embassies in 46 countries a 2-month time to settle funds in their charge before it takes measures against them and holds them accountable according to its authorities under the law.

The member of the SNACA, the head of information sector Yassin Abdeh Saeed the funds under care of the cultural attaches in 46 countries that since 2001 have not been settled amount to YR 16 billion, 81 million and 142 thousand, affirming the Authority’s follow-up of this issue with the ministry of higher education.

In this regard the SNACA official praised the cooperation shown by the Yemeni minister of higher education Dr Saleh Basura in this issue and issues of failures of which Mr Saeed the minister opposes them.

Tribal, Houthis, al-Qaeda, the regime?

ABC: A politician from Yemen’s ruling party has been shot dead by gunmen in the northwestern region of Saada.

Witnesses say the General People’s Congress member, Saleh al-Hindi, and two bodyguards were killed when their car was sprayed with bullets.

The Saada province has been the scene of a rebellion by members of the Zaidi community, a Shiite offshoot.

While it is not clear who is responsible for the attack, al-Hindi was known to support government efforts to subdue the rebels.

Hendi _ a former leader of the opposition Socialist party who heads a prominent tribe in Saada _ has survived several previous assassination attempts. Hendi left the Socialists about four years ago and joined the ruling party.

Update: tribal, military, Houthis?

Government and Houthis exchange accusation over killing tribal sheikh
Saturday 19 April 2008 / Mareb Press

Member of parliament Sheikh Saleh Daghsan was killed on Friday in Saada province, northern Yemen, by unknown gunmen who sprayed bullets on the car when he was on his way to Saada.

Daghsan’s son and one of the bodyguards were killed in the attack and three others bodyguards were injured.

Sheikh Daghsan was the head of a prominent tribe in Saada and he was supporting the governmental efforts to subdue rebels led by Abdul-Malik Houthi in the Saada province.

Meanwhile, the government and al-Houhti rebels have exchanged accusations over the assassination of Sheikh Daghsan.

The governor of Saada province accused in statement for al-Jazeera Channel Huothi followers of killing sheikh Daghsan as an attempt to evade the implementation of the Qatari-brokered agreement between the government and al-Houthis.

On other hand, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi condemned in a press release the attack and described it as regrettable incident.

“The killing of the Member of Parliament sheikh Saleh Daghsan Hinidi and his Ahmed Saleh comes within the framework of the violations and attacks committed by the government against Saada citizens,” Abdul-Malik al-Houthi said in the press release.

A close source to Daghsan said, “The killing of the sheikh is connected with a revenge issue between his tribe and another tribe.”

Bingo, Munier hits the nail on the head.

And yes most terrorists do take their orders from the military leaders.

Yemen Times

Suspicious conducts preceding terrorist attacks:

There are numerous examples of suspicious conducts preceding terrorist events. But what has been proved authentic is that most of the terrorist operations in our homeland were launched by individuals whom the authority metamorphosed and transferred from the Qaeda terrorist Network to a government-controlled terrorist camp. Therefore, most of the terrorists available in Yemen stopped receiving orders from Aiman Al-Dhawahri or Abu Al-Faraj Al-Leebi. Instead, they receive orders from officers in the Yemeni army and security institutions. The actual threat originates from this fact.

At this point, one can say that the terrorist attack on the U.S. Embassy in Sana’a and the adjacent 7 July Girls’ School was planned and launched by metamorphosed terrorists in a manner different from that followed by the real Qaeda Network comrades, who are known for enjoying a high level of exactitude in planning their plots and attacking their specific targets.

What provokes more suspicion is that one week ahead of the terrorist attack, some of the ruling party’s websites shed light on a dispute between Principal of the 7 July Girls’ School – a woman – and some elements, which these websites described as “reformists and extremists”, implying that they belong to the major opposition party in the country.

The pro-ruling party websites published a story saying the school principal was beaten. Is it believable that such preparations were made by chance for the sake of attacking those named by the authority as Yemen’s Taliban?

In conclusion, the Yemeni authority doesn’t only metamorphose the beauteous things and empty out their content such as the unity and democracy. Rather, it did metamorphose even the bad things and made them worse. It changed terrorism from a political crime into a political depravity or evil.

As a result, Mr. Hussein Al-Dharhani is not the only victim that deserves apology by the authority since Bin Shamlan deserves a similar apology and so does the JMP leadership, the family of Jarallah Omar, families of schoolgirls killed in the most recent terrorist attack, the U.S. Embassy staff and the metamorphosed Qaeda elements.

frosty

Al-Sahwa:

April 13, 2008 – Well-informed sources told Alsahwa.net that Washington cancelled a visit of the Yemen’s foreign minister, Abu Bakr al-Qirbi, to Washington which was set to be in mid-April, indicating that this step was taken as Yemen rejected extraditing an FBI wanted, Jamal al-Badawi, suspected of bombing the USS Cole destroyer in the Yemeni port of Aden.

This step followed a visit made by the FBI director Robert Mueller in which he met president Saleh and discussed terror issues.

A spokesman of the U.S. embassy to Yemen had told Alsahwa.net that the FBI director asked Saleh to extradite al-Badawi in order to prosecute him in a U.S. court.

The source pointed out that Mueller further discussed with Saleh issues of combating terrorism and updates of the investigations on the attacks which targeted the U.S. embassy on March 18 and the housing compound of Hadda on April 6.

“Mueller informed Yemen’s officials that U.S. ordered its non-essential staff and their families to leave Yemen due to those attacks which targeted the embassy and American oilmen” added the source.

Official sources said that al-Qirbi would visit Washington in mid-April and would meet the U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in order to discuss mutual relations and how to enhance bilateral cooperation in various areas along with the Middle East prominent issues.

Yemen Observer

The Yemeni Foreign Minister said that he asked for a postponement of his mid April visit to the United States. In a special release to the Yemen Observer, the minister said that the visit was delayed by the Yemeni side because of incomplete arrangements for the visit.

The minister confirmed that the postponement is neither linked to Washington’s demand to extradite criminal suspects such as al-badawi, recent bombings in Sana’a or unrest in the south, nor the FBI’s manager’s visit. He asserted that the visit agenda will not change. It will consist mainly of the issue of bilateral relations, development and cooperation in political, economic and development fields, and regional developments such as terrorism and Iraq.

Al-Qirbi denied any crisis or tension in Yemeni-American relations, yet he pointed out that it is just a difference in opinion, over the al-Badawi case, the first suspect in the USS Cole’s attack to be charged, explaining that it is a constitutionally settled issue from the Yemeni side.

Yemeni media had published news of Washington canceling the foreign minister’s visit of mid April because of the Yemeni refusal of al-Badawi’s extradition, linking it to the FBI’s manager Robert Mueller’s unscheduled visit, in which he discussed terror issues with president Saleh, however, the foreign minister denied it.

Meanwhile, the US Embassy spokesperson said in a press release, “the Yemeni government told us that it postponed the foreign minister’s visit for contradictory schedule reasons.”

Media sources quoted the American Embassy as saying that the FBI manager Robert Mueller, asked during his meeting with president Saleh that al-Badawi should be detained in order that he would be tried in an American court over the American USS Cole attack.

Mueller’s visit was followed by evacuation instructions given to unessential US Embassy officials and their families, with the first group leaving Sana’a on Sunday morning.

Many observers described the American measures as unnecessary, adding that it is a sort of an American pressure on Yemen.

Political analyst, Saeed Thabit, thinks that the measure is unjustified because such things happen to the Americans all over the world. He says that this comes within the context of pressuring Yemen to provide more logistical and military facilities for America’s ‘war on terror,’ conscious of the geopolitical position of and its volatile neighbours.

Journalist Hamoud Munasar described the American step as unnecessary and unjustified, pointing out that Yemen has experienced worse conditions in the past without causing the Americans to take such measures.

Thabit expects a crisis to ensue if Washington continues pressuring Yemen regarding the extradition issue.

Thabit owed the sensitivity of the extradition of the Yemenis to be tried in America to two factors: one concerning the Yemeni constitution which prohibits extraditing Yemeni citizens to be tried in any foreign country, and the other one is regarding the unnecessary security disturbance to be entailed by such a step.

The Americans should consider a bargain in which Yemeni nationals incarcerated in America, including Mohammed Ali al-Moaid and Mohammed Zaid to Yemen, together with the Guantanamo detainees, are returned to Yemen in return for a Yemeni pledge to try anyone who is proved to be involved in violent or illegal actions.

Yemen recently witnessed terrorist actions against American interests, including the March 19 attack, that resulted in killing a soldier and the injury of tens of a neighboring girl’s school’s students, in addition to the blasts that hit American hunt employees’ resident complex in Sana’a on April 6.

The GPC dominated local councils will nominate and elect the govs. There’s no residency requirement. Current governors can be nominated, but the GPC is not using its power to get the appointed current governors formally installed by the vote, Shamy sez. The governor of Aden really needs to go.

al-Motamar

Almotamar.net - Head of the Information Office at the General People’s Congress (GPC) Treq al-Shamy on Monday said the door to nomination for the post of a governor is open but as a transitional stage the electing body would be from members of governorate and district local councils and are amounting to more than 7200 members.

On the right of governors who are at present heads of local councils and if they are also meant for nomination al-Shamy said , ” They have the right and it is not a condition that the candidate to be from the sons of the governorate especially if that governor was successful in his job and offered much to the governorate, ” but al-Shamy affirmed that on condition of the recommendation he is entitled to get and estimated at 10% of the total members of local councils in the governorate for nomination to the post.

Al-Shamy in a statement to altaghyeer.net website has ruled out that the GPC ruling party would use its majority in the councils for reproduction of the present reality through the re-election of the present governors and their continuation vial balloting boxes.

Mareb Press

The political leaders of the opposition Join Meeting Parties (JMPs) described the electing of governors as ‘play’. They said the governor elections contradict the principle of free and direct elections.

They demanded to issue a law allowing all people to elect the governors and district directors.

The chairman of the political circle of Yemen Congregation for Reform party (Islah) said in a press conference for the JMPs, “we are with the decision of governors and district directors elections, if the elections are open and public, but the government has confined the candidacy for governor post on the members of governorate and district local councils.”

Earlier, the National Defense Council (NDC) chaired by President Ali Abdullah Saleh decided on Wednesday to amend some articles of the Local Authority Law concerning elections of governors.

The NDC decided to transfer all financial allowances for development projects in governorates to the local councils and to give local councils the authority of electing governors from members of the local councils in the governorates.

Constitutional ammendments on Shoura Council will enhance the power of the ruling party: Yemen Times:

And yes, I am dumping posts straight into history.

Over two weeks ago, the ruling party: the General People’s Congress approved a number of amendments to the constitution, which the party proposes to present to the parliament for endorsement. The majority of the members of parliament are members of the GPC and so endorsing these amendments are just a matter of time.

The amendments include shortening the presidential term from seven to 5 years, and the parliament term from six to 4. This will only be affective once the current terms are over.

The most significant amendment is the inclusive of the Shoura (consultative) council as a legislating power in Yemen side by side with the Parliament. The way things are today is that only members of parliament or the government can propose any new laws or legislations, which are then forwarded to the parliament to be accepted or rejected.

There are 301 members in the Yemeni parliament elected directly by the people every six years. The last elections were in 2003 and the coming will be in 2009. Whereas the Shoura council was an advisory board established in 2001 and made up of 111 members appointed by the president. Their tasks are to propose suggestions and ideas to help the president and the government rule the country and make the right decisions.

What will change once the proposed amendments are endorsed is that the Shoura Council will perform legislating duties jointly with the parliament. Both councils will be responsible for approving laws, general budgets and closing accounts. The regulation of the parliament and the shoura council will be changed and a new system will be created to adapt to this change.

Moreover, the number of members of the Shoura council is to increase to 151 members representing various governorates.

As it is the situation today is that there are at least 200 members of the parliament from the GPC, comprising a 66 percent majority. Only 150 members of the parliament need to congregate in order to discuss any new amendment and only 76 (50 percent +1) of them have to say yes in order to pass any new legislation. Now with the Shoura council members having the same power the idea of a balanced legislating power is turning to be a joke.

It will be a one party system wearing a multipartism mask. It will be impossible to pass something that the president or the government does not want, and it will be impossible to protect opposition and independent movements or members from the wrath of a majority who disapproves of the other.

With the system as is, it is almost certain that there is nothing we can do about the situation and that Yemen’s constitution will be changed. The only thing to do is that we raise awareness on the significance of such amendments and hope that someone with influence will care enough to stop this from happening.

Mareb Press

Al Qaeda threatens leadership in Mareb
Local News: One soldier killed in Mareb
Saturday 12 April 2008 / Mareb Press

One soldier was killed on Saturday by unknown men on Safer road in Mareb province.

The attackers opened fire on an army vehicle leading to the death of one solider. The attackers were able to run away.

The security apparatus are still search and investigating to know the attackers.

On other hand, unknown men threw a bomb on the building of the Command of Middle Region causing no casualties.

It’s worth mentioning that the building of the Command of Middle Region was exposed to a number of attacks during the last months. The attacks allegedly carried out by Al Qaede. The attack occurred during day time not at night as usual.

Unknown men have distributed publications threatening the leadership and social figures in Mareb with death for being involved, as they claimed, in killing four Al Qaeda men.

The publications which include poems also praise and lament the four Al Qaeda men.

And a bombing

Almotamar.net - An explosion resounded near gates of the Mareb governorate building and the General People’s Congress (GPC) branch headquarters at 7:30 pm Saturday.

The governor of Mareb Arif al-Zoka confirmed to almotamar.net the occurrence of the explosion and said it has not caused any damage and investigations were underway to disclose complications of the incident.

On his part the head of the GPC branch in the governorate Abdulwahid al-Qabali told almotamar.net that no damage happened or casualties due to the explosion except for slight damage to the gate of the GPC branch building.

The GPC leading member did not exclude political motives behind the incident of which the police are still investigating.

Unsurprising in the wake of the mortar attack on the US embassy; however, it is another form of collective punishment.

Mareb Press

The 14 October police station disseminated today a circular to most of the internet cafes’ owners including closing the internet café at 12 am and banning use of internet by children during day or night with pretext of using the internet by suspicious people and children.

The director of police station stressed on the necessity of implementing and committing on this circular saying those will not implement it, they will have to hold the responsible for that.

“The customers should bring their identification cards with them in order to enter the internet café,” he said.

The officer of Rights and Liberties in Lawyers Syndicate, Mohammed al-Maswari, said in press released a copy of which was obtained by Mareb Press, this represent a clear restriction for the liberties and rights of citizens and businessmen.

He demanded for investigation about this. He wondered whether a police station can issued such circulars without any legal verdict.

Eyewitness said that a number of policemen started yesterday evening closing some internet cafes in Sana’a city at 1am.

Meanwhile Saleh declares March 19 as “Yemeni Media Day” and someone issues a statement on behalf of the Yemeni Journalists Syndicate (YSJ) praising the president; however it wasn’t the YSJ. The YSJ was busy having a rally in support of journalist Abdulkarim Al-Khaiwani who is falsely charged with terrorism, while as we know, the terrorists are nearly all free whether or not they were sentenced to jail.

Al-Khiwani has highly appreciated the support of his colleagues, but urged all who have concerns about freedom of opinion to not abandon their legal struggle to get more freedom and break through all restrictions the authorities want to impose on press. He confirmed he would continue fight for his liberty and opinion.

Its getting more accurate I think.

Released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor
March 11, 2008

UNHCR

Yemen, with a population of more than 21 million, is a republic whose law provides that the president be elected by popular vote from among at least two candidates endorsed by parliament. In September 2006 citizens re-elected President Ali Abdullah Saleh to another seven-year term in a generally open and competitive election, characterized by multiple problems with the voting process and the use of state resources on behalf of the ruling party. Saleh has led the country since 1978. The president appoints the prime minister, who is the head of government. The prime minister, in consultation with the president, selects the Cabinet, or Council of Ministers. Although there is a multiparty system, the General People’s Congress Party (GPC) dominates the government. While civilian authorities generally maintained effective control of the security forces, there were a few instances in which elements of the security forces acted independently of government authority.

During a January-to-June third round of conflict which began in 2004, the government used heavy force in an attempt to suppress the al-Houthi rebels of Saada Governorate. Although there were no reliable estimates of numbers of rebels and civilians killed at year’s end, an estimated 700 to 1,000 government troops were killed and more than 5,000 were wounded.

Significant human rights problems existed. There were limitations on citizens’ ability to change their government due to corruption, fraudulent voter registration, and administrative weakness. There were reports that government forces committed arbitrary and unlawful killings, and torture and poor conditions existed in many prisons. Prolonged pretrial detention and judicial weakness and serious corruption were also problems. During the year, arbitrary arrest and detention increased, particularly of individuals with suspected links to the al-Houthi movement, who were forcibly removed from Saada and imprisoned in neighboring governorates. Restrictions on freedoms of speech, press, and peaceful assembly increased significantly. Pervasive discrimination against women also occurred, as well as child labor and child trafficking.

RESPECT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS

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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.

26 September Net
SANA’A - President Ali Abdullah Saleh launched on Wednesday Sheba and Yamania Satellite Channels.

President Saleh listened from officials of the channels about their sections and plans. He also paid visits to the new studios at premises of the TV and the two satellite channels getting aquatinted with the new equipments and human resources.

During his talks with officials of the channels, president Saleh announced March 19th as the Day for the Yemeni Media to reward creative peoples in all the media outlets.

He gave orders to set up two other channels; news channel and religious channel, pointing out that the religious channel might be broadcasted from Hadramout, Aden, Taiz or Dhamar.

President Saleh also indicated to the care of the state for media and to follow up new changes in the world, saying that the media outlets should play their role in deepening national unity and spreading out principles of tolerance, brotherhood and love of the nation.

He urged the newspapers to be accurate in dealing with news and to make sure from credibility of what they publish as some newspapers damaged reputation of the country and its ties with some neighboring countries.

He also asked the media to spread awareness among the society about risks of insecticide used in growing Qat and other issues related to the health of the people.

Update:

Through looking at the other side of the corruption cycle, the different levels of governance have varying degrees of involvement in corruption, ranging from the baselines to middle and high-level officials. However, the recent formation of the Supreme National Authority for Combating Corruption has raised hopes in the sincerity of government’s efforts towards enhancing transparency and battling corruption.

However, spectators indicate that the anti-corruption commission will have limited success in any anti-corruption reforms, quoting that the commission has distributed over 3000 applications for the disclosure of net wealth to high ranking government officials, while less than 300 officials cooperated with the commission and disclosed their net worth. Challengingly, a source who requested to remain anonymous indicated that the president himself refused a request from the commission to take the lead and disclose his own net worth in order to influence other officials, but the presidential office turned that request down.

It is obvious that the anti-corruption commission will be facing a serious challenge if it is to succeed in its anti-corruption mission; however, the hope relies within the support of the international community and donor organizations such as the World Bank and USAID.

Original Post: The article doesnt mention how many declaration forms were sent out, I think its around 2000. Its a good system. As with everything else, the key will be enforcement. Publishing the names in the newspaper is not enforcement; legal action is. The state cannot be above the law, but it is.

al-Motamar

Almotamar.net - The Supreme National Anti-Corruption Authority (SNACA) in Yemen has on Wednesday threatened to refer all those who are lagging behind in delivering their financial declarations to prosecution to be accounted on heir properties and to be tried on charges of corruption cases in case they did not deliver those declarations as soon as possible.

Head of financial declaration sector at the SNACA Mohammed al-Matari told almotamar.net that the authority would in the next three weeks prepare statements of the names of those who failed to present their financial declarations and sending them to prosecution and trial.

The SNACA has earlier defined a date for all those involves in financial declarations in 60 days from receiving the form but many of those included have delayed in committing to that and that impedes the authority work. Al-Matari said the number of those who delivered their financial declarations from ministers, directors general and government officials is so far 592 persons, indicating to almotamar.net that all the ministers have handed over their declarations while many of directors general still have not delivered their declarations.

This measure comes at a time the authority has revealed that of investigations carried out by officials at the authority in 54 cases of corruption.

Yemen Post is coming up with many good interviews. This one is with the head of NDI:

National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI) works in over 60 countries across the globe and seeks to strengthen democratic practices. NDI has been working in Yemen since 1993, primarily supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) but with funding from other sources, such as the Dutch and UK embassies in the past. The two-member office has turned now to be a regional office with over 40 employees of Yemeni and foreign nationalities. It has sought to develop democracy in the country and actively participated in all presidential, parliamentary and local elections conducted in Yemen as of 1993.

By the end of 2006, a Canadian man with European roots (of Bulgarian father and German mother) assumed the responsibility as the resident director of the Sana’a-based NDI regional office. Prior to his arrival in Yemen, the man who just came from Afghanistan thought his task will be an easy one; however, this was not the case. Although Yemen has common features with Afghanistan, including the society’s tribal structure, there were tensions between NDI and the Yemeni government, felt especially under his predecessor Robin Madrid’s direction. It was necessary by then to adjust the Institute’s policies, especially those which aroused Yemeni government’s dissatisfaction. Before joining the NDI, he served as chief of staff to Canada’s Secretary of State for Central and Eastern Europe and the Middle East, as well as serving for many years in the Canadian Army, within the Royal Canadian Artillery. This is Peter Dimitroff, the country director of NDI’s program in Yemen.

Though his back ground is military, Dimitroff is energetic and enjoys a high sense of diplomacy and speaks with frankness yet with cautiousness. Hereafter are the details of our interview with him:

Yemen Post: What is your assessment of Yemen’s democratic experience?

Peter Demitroff: Yemen has been able to achieve good results; however, we have to find some way to move beyond that. In fact there exist democratic structures including parliament, local councils, etc, but still we have to push them forward in order to work better. Moreover, unrest in southern Yemen, economic situation, pensioners’ situation should be also read within the political context which is the normal context. There have been fairly good elections, but elections do not mean democracy. Despite all achievements, there is still more work ahead to be done and more improvement is required. Yemen compares well with other regional countries in the democratic field, but this democracy has to bring results to people.

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News Yemen

Head of Al-Eman religious university, member of Yemeni Clerics Association, sheikh Abdul-Majid al-Zindani has called for changing the Organization of Islamic Conference into an Arab-Islamic federation and to set up a Yemen-based satellite channel for the federation.

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RSF

Independent and opposition journalists battled major restrictions and prosecution in 2007, with a dozen arrested and others physically attacked in the street.

Journalists in the capital, Sanaa, have renamed as “Freedom Square” an intersection near government buildings. Since the regime blocked access to several Internet websites in June 2007 and banned mobile phone news services, freedom of expression activists have met every Tuesday at the spot to protest. Several gatherings have been harshly repressed by police.

At least a dozen stringers for foreign satellite TV stations were banned from sending out material on social unrest and opposition activity in the last quarter of 2007. They included Hammud Munasser, of the Saudi station Al-Arabiya, who was arrested, had his videotapes seized and was interrogated for an hour on the road between Sanaa and Khamer, where about 18,000 people protested on 18 November about the government’s economic policies. A crew from the Qatari station Al-Jazeera was stopped on 10 December from travelling to the southern province of Lahj to cover an opposition rally.

Journalist targeted by the regime

Abdulkarim al-Khaiwani, former editor of the weekly Al-Shura (suspended in 2005) was arrested in June and held for a month before being freed for health reasons. He was prosecuted before the state security court (which specialises in counter-terrorism) for “putting out news likely to undermine army morale” and faces the death penalty if convicted. He is accused of having links with Shiite rebels in the north and has appeared in court with 14 others charged with terrorism. The last hearing, on 25 November, was adjourned and by 1 January 2008 a new date had not yet been set. Al-Khaiwani was questioned by a judge with little affection for journalists, about (unpublished) articles criticising top government figures.

After he was freed, he continued to string for independent and foreign media. Following a story about prison conditions he wrote in the weekly Al-Nedaa, he was briefly kidnapped on 27 August and beaten by heavily-armed men who were apparently state security agents.

Violent incidents

A dozen armed men arrived in military vehicles at the offices of the weekly Al-Sharaa on 30 July and threatened to kill editor Naif Hassan, who was not there. The attack came two weeks after the defence ministry filed a suit against the paper after it printed articles about the fighting in the northern province of Saada. The paper was founded in June 2007.

Ali al-Assadi, editor of the weekly Al-Adwaa, was beaten unconscious in Sanaa on 12 December by thugs with sticks and pickaxes. He said his attackers wore army uniforms.

Let me give you a clue: each letter stands for a word. MEI is not the same as MEMRI. MEI is a think tank; MEMRI does translations.

Last week, the Middle East Institute (MEI) published an article, Fighting Br