MPs stage sit-in [Archives:2002/40/Front Page]

More than 60 MPs staged a sit-in at the parliament in protest against the Vice Speaker who had physically attacked Sakhr al-Wajeeh, a member of the fact-finding committee on Tuesday’s session, September 24.
In a letter dispatched to the parliament speaker, MPs have strongly denounced the attack describing it as an “empty-headed conduct and stupid behavior”. Such an attack is considered to be detrimental to parliament and MPs. ” It is a hostile and terrorist act and an insult to all MPs and to the people of Yemen,” the letter said.
” It is a flagrant violation of the constitution, law and to parliamentary immunity,” the letter added.
The letter has recalled other previous attacks by the Vice Speaker on a number of MPs particularly the attempted attack on MP Sultan al-Attwani and the use of abusive remarks against Sa’ad Addeen Taleb and Yahya Mansour Abu Asba’ or ordering the bodyguards to force the MPs to leave the hall, such as, Najeeb Qahtan Ashabi.
The MPs have strongly criticized the Vice Speaker of the parliament of bad-mouthing the MPs.
They further demanded for an immediate deterrence to unacceptable behavior including forming a special committee to interrogate the Vice Speaker and suspend him from his post. The MPs have demanded civil society organizations, political parties, and human rights organizations to denounce this uncivilized conduct against the MPs.
On the other hand, the National Organization for Defending Rights and Freedoms, (NODRF) in a statement last Tuesday said that the MP, Sakhr al-Wajeeh, a member of the fact-finding committee, was physically attacked by the Vice Speaker, Yahya Arra’ee.
The set-to erupted over the fact-finding report on the detainees suspected of having links to USS Cole incident and the September 11 attacks in the US.
Sakhr al-Wajeeh, a member of the fact-finding committee when finished reading the report, was attacked by the vice speaker of the parliament. The report had been previously published in newspapers along with photos of the detainees.
The statement issued by the NODRF mentioned that Sakhr al-Wajeeh had been previously unseated from the membership of the permanent committee of the GPC and was also prevented from attending meetings of the 6th General Conference of the ruling party.

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