Nice of him to spread it around a little.
The al-Saleh’s mosque is partially opened on the advent of Ramadan as many people from Sana’a and visitors from the governorates went to pray in it.
The president’s mosque which is built on the president’s expense is considered to be an immense Islamic building and one of Sana’a city distinctive features. Its cost is mounted to $60 million.
thats over 1/4 mil US
So what is it then, a pre-election ploy? Really some kind of international supervision is required.
SA’ADA, Aug. 31 — Landmines planted during the four-year fighting in Sa’ada between the Yemeni army and Houthi loyalists have killed hundreds of goat herders in the governorate, Houthi sources maintain, adding that the human situation continues worsening as displaced residents no longer can tolerate living in tents without any access to sanitation networks.
“In various media outlets, we hear about various local and international relief agencies offering humanitarian assistance to affected citizens in Sa’ada, however, such hasn’t actually happened on the ground,” Houthi representative Sheikh Saleh Habra told the Yemen Times.
He added that, “Refugee tents sheltering the families of Houthi loyalists suffer unprecedented negligence. Refugees at Anad Camp, which is comprised of 700 tents, are experiencing the worst conditions since the war ended. They lack adequate sanitation systems, drinking water and necessary medical equipment.”
Plausable
Yemen Post , Local sources in Abyan told the Yemen Post that a key fundamentalist, named Khalid Abdul Nabi, surrendered to security authorities on Friday after an intense exchange of fire between a group of his followers and security forces in Abyan’s Ja’ar city.
The same sources revealed that three security men were wounded in the same operation that led to the arrest of five militants. Eye witnesses declared that Abdul Nabi’s house was seen aflame.
Abdul Nabi, the leader of Aden-Abyan Islamic Army, is accused of being behind several security troubles including violent acts, bombings, etc. His group was behind Hitat kidnapping operation that took place in 1998 when a number of British tourists were killed.
He has been hunted by security authorities for the last five-years and sources indicate that security forces were seeking to arrest Abdul Nabi’s brother, Captain Ahmed.
I dont think any of the EU’s suggested electorial reforms were implemented.
Presidential decree on SCER formation issued
SANA’A, Aug. 26 (Saba)- Presidential decree No. 12 for the year 2008 was issued on Tuesday on the formation of the Supreme Committee of Elections and Referendum of the following personnel:
1- Khaled Abdul-Wahab al-Sharif
2- Abdullah Muhsen al-Akwa’a
3- Dr. Ja’afer Saeed Ba-Salah
4- Dr. Mohammed Abdullah al-Sayani
5- Alawi Ali al-Mashhour
6- Abdu Mohammed al-Jundi
7- Mohammed al-Saqaf Abdul-Rahman Balghait
8- Saif Mohammed Saleh al-Sharabi
9- Dr. Abdullah Mohammed DahanThe second and the last article stipulates that this decree enters it into effect
from the date of its issuance and to be published in the official gazette.
Negotiations, epic fail.
Yemen’s opposition accuses ruling party of seeking to forge up-coming elections
al-Sahwa- Yemen’s opposition, the Joint Meeting Parties, has held the ruling party, the General People Congress, responsible for any dire consequences resulted in by its refusal of approving a new election law.GPC had ruled out on Monday a draft of amendments to the election law which have been prepared for the past year in effort to bring more women into parliament, curb vote-rigging, limit the influence of government officials and confining the registration of electors to their place of birth or residence while rejecting the place of work.
JMP said, in a statement released on Tuesday, that the ruling party’s parliamentary bloc carried out a coup against democracy since it refused voting on a draft of election law amendments.
Yemen’s main opposition parties also accused the ruling party of breaking its pledges ; releasing the political prisoners, and illegally forming an election commission in separation, considering such measures evidence of preplanning to counterfeit the up-coming parliamentary elections, due to take place in April 2009.
JMP further affirmed that refusal of the election law amendments undermine a principle of political multiparty, escalate tensions and result in serious consequences.
“GPC is seeking to hold forged elections in which public money is exploited” it added, pointing out that such elections would much deepen widespread unemployment, impoverishment and corruption.
On the other hand, the ruling party described the recent measure as constitutional, indicating that the opposition failed to name its nominees for the election commission.
Abdul-Mulak al-Huthi, leader of the rebel tribe in Sa’adah in the north of Yemen confirmed in a letter sent to President Ali Abdullah Saleh his commitment to Saleh’s proposed cease fire, including retreating from mountains hideouts, evacuation from citizens’ houses, ending all armed initiatives and handing over all captives from the army, reported the September 26 website, mouthpiece of the Yemeni army.
Having played the terrorism card to exhaustion, Saleh plays the religion card with some trick to divide the Islah party, something to bolster his political capital at a time of weakness. Whatever it is, its a furtherance of the growing Talabanization of Yemen. This is an interesting post by a Yemeni woman entitled “Yemen, Sexual Harassment and Women”, who writes:
The problem in Yemen and Saudi in my opinion stems from the sexual objectification of women and a culture that views them as inferior, not only are they physically weaker but intellectually and morally inferior….The strict segregation is part of the cause as well, it creates lack of interaction and familiarity between the sexes. I consider it unhealthy that relatives for example cannot mingle with each other, instead females retreat hastily in another room if a man is approaching without even a greeting. Curtains are used to separate the sexes when talking to each other, those situations sexualise a perfectly normal environment. Any interaction between the sexes is deemed to be sexual.
The above author concludes , “It’s important that we strike a middle and balanced ground in order to have a healthy society and when pursuing virtue not achieve the opposite.”
An article from the Yemen Oserver notes the attendees of the conference were mostly al-Iman students, so the whole thing is looking like an al-Zindani creation, including the declaration that any women in the work force will lead to chaos in society and sex in the streets. Meanwhile the vice in Yemeni society is concentrated among its elite and leaders who steal food daily from the mouths of starving children. They are the ones who need moral guardians on an hourly basis. As the Italians say, a fish rots from its head. And of course and predictably, the conference focused on villifying journalists in particular.
The Yemen Observer: An alliance of Yemeni religious scholars and tribal leaders has decided to watch and safeguard the morals and values of the society through holding annual meetings rather than permanent committees, which were strongly criticized before being established.Under the slogan “It’s the guards of virtue who will protect the ship from drowning,” the clerics and tribesmen – the self-appointed guardians of virtue – decided to hold a yearly conference, called “The meeting of promoting virtue and combating vice.” They backed down from a previous proposal submitted to President Ali Abdullah Saleh last May, for establishing virtue committees (religious police) and for monitoring the activities of individuals and institutions by banning any vice-related activity such as selling alcoholic drinks, night clubs, hotels, restaurants, or massage centers.
The clerics and tribesmen retracted from establishing their committees of promoting virtue and combating vice after strong criticisms from journalists, writers and politicians, who viewed the job of such committees as the responsibility of the state.
No single woman attended the one-day meeting held on Tuesday July 15 by the tribesmen and the Sunni religious scholars. The meeting was chaired by the tribal leader, Sadeq Abdullah al-Ahmar – sheikh of Yemen’s most influential tribe, the Hashed – and cleric Abdul Majeed al-Zandani, who is accused by the United States of supporting terrorism.
Most of the nearly two thousands male attendees were students of Al-Eyman University, a religious university run and owned by al-Zandani. The rest of the attendees were Salafi clerics and tribesmen. No prominent politicians from the Islamist party Islah attended the meeting except Sheikh al-Zandani, who has his own Salafi current inside the party. The politicians of Islah refused the demand of establishing committees for virtue, saying that it was only a political trick from the president Saleh to divide the Islah party, the largest opposition party on the one hand, and divide the opposition alliance which includes the Islah Islamists, Socialists and Nasserites on the other.
“Talking about committees for virtue has political reasons behind, aiming to mix the cards and confuse political life in an official attempt to divert the attention from its helplessness and corruption of the government, and thus holding others responsible for its faults including weakening the effectiveness of the official bodies and working outside the constitution and law,” said the alliance of the three parties in a statement issued three days before the meeting of the clerics and tribesmen.
I hope its true and that the release of al-Khaiwani is part of the deal:
Mareb Press: The President Ali Abdullah Saleh said that the war between the governmental troops and Al Houthi rebels has ended and it would never come back again.
“The war which was in some districts of Sa’ada has ended three days ago, and it will never come back again,” Saleh said.
In the first reaction, Yahya al-Houthi, currently residing in Germany, said in an interview with al-Jazeera satellite channel, President Saleh and his brother Abdul-Malik have agreed in telephone calls to end war in Sa’ada.
“The reason for ending the war is that we (al-Houthis) have severely blockaded the 17th militar infantry devision brigades under the leadership of brigadier Abdul Azeezal-Shahari, in Sa’ada for two months. So, the president asked for stopping war,” he added.
Yahya said it is President Saleh who always “begins and ends wars.” However, al-Houthi said that ceasefire this time is more serious.
He said “this ceasefire will continue just if the state army stops attack on people and people can equally get their rights. To continue this truce, we need peace, serious and responsible dialogue and we need to implement Doha deal”, said al-Houthi.
Local sources said that some clashes are still taken place in some of Sa’ada districts between the army and al-Houthi rebels.
Saleh is celebrating 30 years in power.
Sahwa Net –Demonstrations held on Thursday in Dhala and Lahj provinces demanded to cancel celebrations in which the authorities force citizens to attend to, according to their descriptions .
The demonstrators described marking the July 17th as a two parts behavior and exclusion policy. Sahwa Net correspondent in Dhala province said that slogans demanding to recognize the south issue end of prosecuting southern activists and release political prisoners were raised in the demonstrations. “Demonstrators stressed the continuation of peaceful struggle until all citizens’ rights are met” added he. Furthermore, demonstrations held Thursday in Lahj province denounced marking the July 17 as a national occasion, considering such act a devotion of division language.
On the other hand, the Joint Meeting Parties in Mahweet condemned forcing employees to attend the celebration of the president’s 30th anniversary of assuming power. Yemen’s president Saleh took power in north on 17 July 1978.
I wish it was true but the machine guns are still audible from the capital, Sana’a. This is at least the fifth declaration of the end of the war since 2005
Saada war ended three days ago, Pres. Saleh declares
SANA’A, July 17 (Saba) - President Ali Abdullah Saleh declared here Thursday the end of the war in Saada province, the north of Yemen.
“The war in districts of Saada province ended three days ago and it will never back.” Saleh said during the inauguration ceremony of summer centers and youth camps organized by the Supreme Committee for Summer Centers and Youth Camps and Ministry of Youth and Sport.
Worth mentioning, the Supreme Security Committee called last Wednesday all citizens fled from their villages in districts of Saada province to return home.
The committee also called citizens of Bani Hushaish and Harf sufian district of Amran governorate to return to their villages and homes peacefully.
An Interview With President Ali Abdullah Saleh
By THE NEW YORK TIMES
Yemen, in the southern corner of the Arabian peninsula, is facing security threats on several fronts. An uprising by northern rebels belonging to the Zaydi branch of Islam reached the outskirts of the capital last month. Al Qaeda’s Yemeni branch claimed several attacks on foreign embassies and other targets in recent weeks. The past year has also seen riots and demonstrations across the south, which was a separate country until 1990. The current discontent, some say, has its roots in unresolved conflicts dating back to 1962, when a revolution toppled north Yemen’s ancient system of religious rule and the country’s modern history began. Robert F. Worth, the Times’s Beirut bureau chief, interviewed Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh earlier this month in the capital, Sana. The president spoke in Arabic; this transcript is a translation.The New York Times: There are military checkpoints throughout the capital. It’s apparent that the Houthi rebels [who are from the northern province of Saada, and belong to the Zaydi branch of Islam] are nearby. How did the rebellion first originate? And how did it come so close to the capital?
PRESIDENT Ali Abdullah Saleh’s face is everywhere in Yemen. He stares out from billboards, shop windows and living room walls, always with the same proud expression: eyes glinting, chest thrust out as if to confront a challenger. After 30 years in power, Mr. Saleh has become almost synonymous with the state in this arid, desperately poor corner of southern Arabia.
But lately the president, 66, known for his wicked sense of humor, has been uncharacteristically dour. A war with northern Shiite rebels has spread to the outskirts of the capital. Terrorist attacks have led embassies and foreign companies to evacuate their employees. With an insurrection rising in the south as well, the turmoil has renewed fears that this conservative Muslim country of 23 million, a longtime haven for jihadists, could collapse into another Afghanistan.
The following (in the box) is a “Guest Post”, meaning I didn’t write it. And the author makes a point that I have been trying to make for years, and that many in the west find confusing: Yemeni President Saleh is no longer a (Shiite) Zaidi. President Saleh is a Wahabbi convert, like his half-brother General Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar who is leading the military assualt on Sa’ada province, the historical center of Zaidism. Historically Yemeni Zaidis and (Sunni) Shaifis have had excellent relations (and still do) and are close in their orientation. But to the extent that the state itself is pushing Salafism across the nation, the Hashimites and Zaidis have become targets in many ways.
Guest post: Sanaa Governorate and Zaidiyyah : Statements, Expectations and Facts
What the authority is doing of killing towards who believed they are Zaidiyyah and having informative authority upon Zaidiyyah and accusing them of being agents for Iran and Magi is a dangerous signal reached to a degree that people in Sanaa became aware of the facts.
By the conflict between the government and Al Hutheyon which affects their future, their stability and their intellectual liberty where state control and decreasing of the status of those who they think are the supporters of Al -Huthei and without charge or conviction, and this fact helps to aggravate the matter and people fear for their lives.
President Saleh is no longer a Zaidi as known among the society he is loyal to the Gulf and he closes the Zaidiyyah schools and predecessor schools this is what is happening in Sa’dah.
A high-ranking officials said that the supporters of Al-Huthei growing every day as a result of the government forces of blackmail and attacks on citizens and it is certainly that Zaidiyyah in Sanaa have to defend their religious inheritance and intellectual and it is not easy for the state to bring ideology in place of another without sufficient awareness and a civilized and modern methods rather than physical eliminations.
One political analyst says that the clashes which occur in Sa’dah between Al Huthei supporters and the government are the result of the state expansion in spreading of Salafism thought and the establishment of associations and religious schools that affect on society and attacking the society of disbelief , and so the difference of the known sectarian group.
Conversely, which the Government was doing to reduce the presence of Zaidiyyah and accuses them that they cause economic and political problems for Yemen and They are obstructing the wheel of Yemen’s accession to the Gulf States system and that can not be achieved fully only after the elimination of Zaidiyyah thought , which the Gulf Cooperation Council states consider it as an Iranian thought and Shiite doctrine affects their faith the faith of Sunnis
Political analyst Mohamed Al Mansour said there should be a change of ideology so that we can acquire the other acceptance and get to the good rank, peaceful and to live together with neighboring countries and this can occur only after the elimination of any orientations conflict with Sunna thought and community.
A group of writers and political analysts responded saying that the change of ideology is not a hiring staff office will be transferred from one place to another and Islam guaranteed freedom for all who witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad Messenger of God, they have no sufficient evidence to drive them out of religion
Yemen Post
Local sources told the Yemen Post that President Saleh has sought to force Al-Ezi bin Abadan to withdraw his candidacy as governor of Al-Jawf. The negotiations led Al-Jawf sheikhs and tribes supporting Abadan to lift their siege on the government complex in Al-Hazm, the capital city of Al-Jawf province.Bin Abadan support amassed last week after a first-instance court rejected the results of elections and ordered conducting new elections, demanding the result to be approved and to announce their fellow as the winner.
Unbelievable! President Saleh fired the civil service minister, the guy who actually implemented reforms and devised bio-metric ID’s, fired the 60,000 double dippers and ghost workers, and lots more.
The Fisheries Minister had to go. There’s so much corruption and “elite capture of donor funds” in the Fisheries Ministry. Can I hope? No, not after the al-Jawf election being overturned.
The (former) governor of Saada is very hard core, yes? And now he’s the interior minister?
May 22 Sana’a, Yemen - Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh ordered a cabinet reshuffle Monday, appointing six new ministers as part of government reforms promised after a wave of violent protests in the south of the Arab state, state media reported. The portfolios affected by the reshuffle were oil, interior, electricity, civil services, expatriate affairs and fisheries, the official Saba news agency said.
Saleh named Yemen’s ambassador to France, Ameer Aidarous, as oil minister to replace Khaled Bahah, who has held the post since 2006.
Mutahar al-Masri, governor of the restive north-western Saada province, where government forces have been fighting Shiite rebels since 2004, was appointed interior minister.
Wow thats huge. Al-Alimi cut loose as interior minister and re-assigned to overseeing defense and interior. Is it a promotion?
President Saleh authorizes his new deputy premier to run interior and defense ministries
Sana’a, May 21, 2008
(YemenOnline) – President Ali Abdullah Saleh authorized today the newly appointed deputy prime minister to be in charge of the affairs of the interior and defense ministries.Presiding over a meeting for the newly appointed cabinet and newly elected governors President Saleh said that the new deputy premier for security and defense affairs will be the head of the Security Committee located in the premises of the National Security Service in order to follow up on security issues in the country.
President Saleh’s authorization makes al-Alimi responsible for supervising, monitoring, and evaluating the performance of the interior and defense ministries.
SANA’A, April 27 — “I will not kneel and beg for forgiveness,” said 34-year-old Fahad Al-Qarni in his first hearing session at court in Taiz on Wednesday, April 26, responding to a request that he give a written apology to the General People’s Congress in order to be released. Al-Qarni, who is a singer and member of the media department in the Islamic opposition party Islah, was arrested on the first week of April by members of Taiz political security as he was heading to a festival in Aden. He is facing many charges, including motivating people to carry out armed revolt, resisting the government system and calling for revolution and secession. He also insulted in performances the ruling party as well as President Ali Abdullah Saleh publicly by referring to him as “not trustworthy” and that “he and his officials are corrupt, betrayers, thieves, and that they are a gang together.”
Al-Qarni refused to apologize, saying that he did not do anything that deserved an apology. The Attorney General’s Office ordered that he be detained in the Central Security Jail for seven days. “These charges are not right, because I have never asked the people to rise up against the Yemeni government, and I do respect the unity between the south and the north,” He stated.
Of course Saleh was in on it.
Possible Yemeni Breaches of UN Sanctions
2001: Government of Yemen Offers to supply Military Goods to Iraq
Recovered documents refer to the Yemen Ambassador meeting with the Iraqi military to discuss a list of guaranteed military materials. According to the documents, the President of Yemen gave his blessing to support the effort to supply military goods to Iraq.A letter from the Iraqi Defense Minister Sultan Hashem Ahmed dated 23 March 2001 speaks of a meeting with the Republic of Yemen’s Ambassador, Mr. Abid Al-Malek Saeed. The letter states that Yemen had been helping the Iraqi Armed forces through a Yemeni business-man named Mr. Shaher Abid Al Haqq.
Reference is given to a meeting held 19 February 2001, were the Yemeni side was ready to export military materials from Yemen and Ethiopia to Iraq. The letter indicates the President of Yemen, Ali Abid Allah Salah, gave his blessing to the deal and that the Iraqis were given guarantees for the spare parts. These parts were specifically drawn from the stocks of the Yemeni armed forces, air force, army aviation and included armor, trucks, and weapons.
A follow-up meeting was held on 22 March 2001, which included the Yemeni Ambassador and Mr. Al-Haqq. Al-Haqq and the Ambassador provided the Iraqi military with a list of guaranteed available military materials and prices. Al-Haqq also revealed that he had met with the President Salah who had given his blessing for these efforts and support. The letter indicates that the President Salah, “believes that the support of Iraq with the proposed exports is necessary” and he had made calls to his brother, an Air Force Commander, asking him to present everything possible to Iraq, even if he has to take supplies from the Yemeni Air Force and ask Russia and others for replacement material.
Arab billionaire’s son: ‘I didn’t kill party girl’
Source: Metro
Tuesday, March 25, 2008- The son of an Arab billionaire businessman who left Britain hours before a Norwegian friend was found dead has denied killing her.
He did attend the al-Farouq training camp. Is he going to deny that? Thats a crime in the US. And supposedly, according to a Yemeni court (?!), he participated in the bombing of the oil facilities in September 2006.
Yemen On Line :
FBI wanted Al-Banna to al-Jazeera: “I challenge Yemen and U.S. to substantiate allegations against me”Sana’a, March 24, 2008 - Doha-based Al-Jazeera TV Channel broadcast on Sunday a brief report on Yemeni-American citizen Jaber Al-Banna. Al-Banna said he is innocent from all charges brought against him and added that the Yemeni government is an agent for the United States. U.S. Embassy spokesperson, Ryan Gliha, said al-Banna is one of the most wanted terrorism suspects and that he should be in prison. Gliha added that U.S. believes that those countries committed to fight terror should act to imprison those convicted of terrorist crimes. “Al-Banna should be imprisoned for the terrorist crimes he committed in Yemen and in the U.S,” said Gliha. “The U.S. asked Yemen to hand over al-Banna, but Yemeni authorities refused to extradite him,” Gliha concluded. Al-Banna said he is innocent from all Yemeni and U.S. charges filed against him and at the same time challenged both governments to prove any of their charges against him.
Al-Banna, who was sentenced for one year in jail in absentia after his escape with 22 other al-Qaeda operatives from a Yemeni prison in 2006, is wanted by the United States over charges of “providing material support to terrorists,”
Cheney was in Oman and didn’t go to Yemen to see his buddy Ali Saleh?
Cheney said in his meeting Sunday with Palestinian leaders that they talked about efforts under way in Yemen to encourage reconciliation between moderate and militant Palestinians.
“My conclusion after talking about this with the Palestinians is that they have established some preconditions before they would ever consider a reconciliation, including a complete reversal of the Hamas takeover of Gaza.”
Asked whether the U.S. supports the Yemeni mediation effort to bridge differences between Hamas and Fatah, a senior administration official said that the United States has made it clear that it will not support working with Hamas unless there is a fundamental change in the group’s current role, which the U.S. describes as terrorist.
Israel has been conducting peace talks with President Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah-led government in the West Bank, while simultaneously battling Hamas in Gaza. An Israeli official said a reconciliation between Fatah and Hamas would mean the end of peace talks.
“The Fatah leadership has to make a choice,” the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media. “They can have a peace process and dialogue with Israel or a coalition with Hamas. But it’s clear that you can’t have them both.”
The Arab League likes it though
Almotamar.net - The Arab League (AL) has welcomed Sunday the signing of Sana’a Declaration between the movements of Fatah and Hamas to begin the dialogue based on the Yemeni initiative.
Good. Lets see if Ali Mohsen does it. Lots of Saleh’s directives are ignored. The governor of Aden is another one who is very autonomous.
Yemen Times op-ed:
At this point, I think that the time period spent by the Qatari mediation team leader traveling between Doha and Sana’a since the first day of March – a deadline assigned for releasing detainees jailed over alleged connections with Sa’ada fighting – has now yielded its fruitful results. Such results are represented by the Qater team leader’s return to Sa’ada following a meeting with President Ali Abdullah Saleh in Hodeida, during which both officials agreed upon certain points for executing the Doha-brokered Peace Deal.
At that time, President Saleh gave directions to Commander of Northwest Military Flank Gen. Ali Mohsen Al-Ahmar and Sa’ada Governor Mutahhar Rashad Al-Masri to pull troops out of the schools and mosques belonging to Zaidi people. Saleh also directed questioning any military commanders or officials intercepting commuters of these mosques and schools, which was described as ‘a good addition’ to the mediation efforts.
Saleh the Statesman. He should try to implement the plan in Yemen.
Yemen is holding separate talks with rival Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas in an effort to foster a national reconciliation process.
Hamas officials have welcomed dialogue on the Yemeni proposals, which include returning Gaza to the situation it was in before Hamas took control in 2007.Fatah officials say Hamas acceptance of the principles of the Yemen initiative is a precondition for direct dialogue.
However, Hamas has not said it is ready to relinquish control of Gaza.
How Vain! Does Ali Abdullah Saleh think he’s pretty when he’s not biting his lip?
IHT: SAN’A, Yemen: Yemen banned a new magazine Sunday for publishing a picture of the nation’s president deemed “inappropriate” by authorities, the paper’s editor said. Nabil al-Soufi, editor of Abwab, said the security authorities banned the first issue of the magazine because they believed the picture of President Ali Abdellah on the cover made him look dour. The editor said the picture was a reprint.
How about this one?
News Yemen: The chief editor and publisher of Abwab magazine, printed in Dubai, Nabeel al-Sufi said the security at the Sana’a International Airport had prevented 10,000 copies of his magazine’s first edition from entering the country because of a cover picture of president Saleh… in case security authorities refuse to release the 10,000 copies of the magazine, the magazine might be completely terminated.
Caption Contest?
U Wantz Demokracy?
Sorree, No Kan Do.
Update: I just couldn’t help myself:
So now its become a popular thing. Update by Vinnie (my radio show producer) , “I couldn’t help myself either”:
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.
No longer calling it a tempest in a teapot, Saleh talks up the doomsday scenarios he was so fond of during the election
Almotamar.net - President Ali Abdullah Saleh warned Saturday against some discordant voices depicting hatred and divisionism that do not serve the national unity and unable to solve even their own problems and affirmed that there is no fear about the unity.
The president, in his speech at the annual Al-Husseiniayh Festival for horse and camel races held in Hudeida today, emphasized that “our motto is the unity or death.” The president described the opposition parties’ address as repugnant for the people, reminding it of their failure in the local councils and parliamentary elections and demanded the opposition to be the other face of the ruling system and to present suggestions and programmes. The president said they (opposition) mislead themselves as they are the alternative and added the alternative will be worse and affirmed they don’t know the policy of the state.
Addressing the attendants of the festival the president warned of terror asking “do you want us to be Sudan with blockade imposed on it or to be another Somalia or Iraq or Afghanistan?” He affirmed to tell the opposition no to the return to the disintegrated past and return to regionalism.
Te president urged the people to love and leaving the complexes of the past and instigating trouble, saying ” how good is the democracy in our country and we must protect it and must not be an axe for instigation and sabotage.”
On the other hand President Ali Abdullah Saleh called on the Gulf Cooperation Council States and Arab countries to take part in Al-Husseiniayh festival for the next year. He has also hailed the youth participating in the festival and the Ministry of Youth, describing the festival as spectacular.
President Saleh clarified that the youth are the hope of the nation and its aspirations, the faithful guard and pioneers of development and services. “We want youth armed with science with no room for hatred among their ranks or regionalism, science replaces poverty and ignorance and backwardness, only with science peoples live,” the president said.
The president urged the government to pay attention to the English language and the technical and vocational education.
Saleh trying to solve the world’s problems but can’t solve his own.
Almotamar.net - Yemen’s ambassador to Egypt and its permanent delegate to the Arab League Dr Abdulwali al-Shamiri announced Sunday that the Arab League has adopted the initiative of President Ali Abdullah Saleh concerning healing the rift between the Palestinian brethren.
Ambassador al-Shamiri said the Yemeni delegation led by Dr Abubakr al-Qirbi, the Foreign Minister has succeeded in urging the League and its foreign ministerial council during its latest meeting towards adopting the initiative of President Saleh of all its seven points for reconciliation among the Palestinian brethren and resumption of dialogue between the movements of Fatah and Hamas.
The Yemeni ambassador indicated that the Palestinian delegation participating in the Arab League Foreign Ministers Council session blessed the Yemeni initiative. He also disclosed that all Arab countries delegates to the Arab League announced their support for the Yemeni initiative and considered it as the safest groundwork for healing the Palestinian rift.
It is to be recalled that the Yemeni initiative includes seven points stipulating the return to the situations in Gaza to before Hamas control on the authority institutions there, holding early elections, resuming dialogue based on the basis of Cairo agreement in 2005 and Mecca agreement in 2007 on the basis that the Palestinian people are inseparable entirety and that the Palestinian authority is composed of the elected presidential authority, the elected parliament and the executive power represented by the government of national unity and the commitment to the Palestinian legitimacy with all of its components.
The initiative also stipulates respect of the Palestinian constitution and law and to abide by them by all and to rebuilding the security apparatuses on national bases so that they follow the higher authority and government of the national unity government and no faction should have any relation with it.
The initiative also stipulated that all Palestinian institutions should be without any factional distinction and to be subject to the higher authority and the national unity government.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Why is Reuters identifing Faris al-Sanabani as “editor” instead of regime spokesman? He is Saleh’s media advisor, not an independent voice at all.
The government tends to minimise the impact of southern unrest, terrorism and tribal insecurity, citing the potential of tourism and foreign investment to turn Yemen’s fortunes around.
Such views are echoed by Faris Sanabani, editor of the Yemen Today monthly, who argued that regional prosperity was at stake.
“Yemen shouldn’t be a failing state and it won’t be,” he said. “If Yemen goes down, Saudi Arabia will go down with it.”
Would be nice if Saleh applied these principles to Yemen
Almotamar.net - Official sources said Saturday that President Ali Abdullah Saleh has in the past few days made movements for healing the rift of the Palestinian national rank through communication with leaderships of the two movements of Fatah and Hamas for the elimination of the present differences between them in the wake of the situation that emerged in Gaza after the events of 13 June 2007.
The sources added that the Yemeni movements come after the visit to Yemen made by president of the Palestinian Authority and his talks with President Saleh Mahmoud Abbas and his talks with President Saleh who handed him a Yemeni initiative which was also delivered to chairman of the political office of Hamas movement Khalid Mishaal.
The Yemen initiative, aimed at coming out of the present Palestinian situation and opening dialogue between Fatah and Hamas, contains seven points including the restoration of the situation in Gaza to its position before 13 June 2007, holding early elections, resuming dialogue on basis of Cairo agreement in 2005 and Mecca agreement of 2007 on the basis that the Palestinian people are inseparable and the Palestinian authority is composed of the elected presidency authority, the elected parliament and the executive authority represented by a national unity government and commitment to the Palestinian legitimacy with all of its components.
The initiative also stipulates the respect of the Palestinian constitution and the law and abiding by it by all, restructuring of the security apparatuses on national bases and affiliated to the higher authority and the national unity government and not to have any relation with any faction and all the Palestinian institutions, in all of their components without any factional distinction and to be under the power of the higher authority and the national unity government.
Source: 26september.net
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February 17, 2008 – The advisor of Yemeni president Salem Saleh Mohammad has affirmed that the United Arab Emirate’s security authorities prevented him form leaving the country, despite his official entry to the state.
He told Alsahwa.net in a phone call that UAE seized his passport and prevented him from leaving the state without any explanations, considering what he faced a sort of mistreatment all Yemenis face in the Gulf States.
“While Yemen’s Foreign Affairs Minister is called to attend the meeting of the GCC foreign ministers, Yemenis are dealt as suspects in these states” added he.
Former representative: there are 15 powerful officials manipulating lands in Aden and Lahj
January 29, 2008 – Hundreds of people protested Tuesday against the policy of looting lands in Aedn and Lahj provinces.
Farmers in Aden and Lahj accuse official authorites of neglecting their demands through their insistence to raise tensions which in turn results looting of lands in the southern provinces.
The former Member of Parliament Saleh Harbi accused 15 top military leaders and heads of the local authorities in Aden and Lahj of manipulating lands, pointing out that the president Ali Abduallah Saleh knows those officials well.
Yes we can all name the theives including Saleh. If protests dont work, elections are rigged, the press is muzzled, whats next?
