“15 years of Democracy”: need for constitutional and legal amendment [Archives:2005/844/Front Page]

The participants in “Yemen after 15 years of democracy” symposium confirmed that Yemen's democracy should be reassessed in accordance with conventional objective conditions particularly those related to free elections and the freedom to establish organizations etc.

Organized by Al-Jazeera Center for Human Rights Studies” last Wednesday and Thursday, the symposium declared that the partisan establishment, which has been stagnant since the Reunification, must be revitalized.

The Symposium recommended opposition-government dialogue so as to create homogenous views on the problems and challenges in front of the country and to help adopt a comprehensive national reform project. It also recommended achieving national consensus based on balanced forces in the society without one controlling the other and stressed that all parties, both in the government and the opposition, should put into practice their theories about women so as to empower them and respect their right to participation. The symposium urged parties to promote democracy in Yemen by disseminating the culture of democracy grounded on toleration and acceptance of the otherness.

The attendants of the symposium called on women, irrespective of their political affiliations, should rally to form a force pressing on decision-makers in order to get their complete rights.

They also emphasized that citizens must be given the full range of their freedom to practice their civil and political rights including candidacy in presidential elections and establishing radio and TV stations.

The symposium spoke against the traditional anti-woman view which deprives women of their lawful rights and suggested education curricula and media means as ways of addressing this problem.

The Symposium was attended by a large number of personalities including political leaders, national and social figures and woman activists.
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