Opposition encourages people to join nationwide protests [Archives:2007/1107/Local News]
By: Mohammed Bin Sallam
SANA'A, Nov. 28 ) Demonstrations and sit-ins are continuing nationwide in protest against what protestors and opposition leaders say are the government's failed policies, responsible for the deteriorating situations in the country. In the meantime, the Joint Meeting Parties (JMP) is instigating people to join nationwide marches due to take place next Friday, coinciding with the national Independence Day. Authorities are attempting to hinder any planned protests amid fears of violence, chaos and rioting which may accompany them.
In Dhamar's Ans District, some 100 km south of Sana'a, locals held on Sunday a public rally under the slogan “No to price hikes no to failed projects”. Security authorities in the governorate attempted to prevent the rally, to no avail.
At the rally, a JMP leader in the district confirmed that citizens will continue their peaceful struggle until the government puts a stop to the deteriorating situations in the political, economic and social spheres. Mohammed Hamoud Al-Marami said that “the Yemeni people are required to unify their lines and stand firm against injustice, corruption and price hikes. People must not remain silent without reacting to the rampant corruption exercised by the ruling party officials in different state institutions.”
“Unity is a public choice and we support this choice, but those who exercise property theft and embezzle public funds are responsible for damaging national unity,” the opposition leader added.
By the end of the rally, a JMP agent read out the rally statement, which contained demands by district citizens, who insist that the government abide by the constitution and cease human rights violations. The statement called for reforming the political system and election laws in order to ensure free and fair elections reflecting the will of the people.
The participants pressed the government to eradicate corruption, refer corrupt officials to the relevant judicial authorities and carry out real economic reforms that will prevent the waste of wealth and resources. They demanded it to specify the role of the media and stop using it to mislead people.
The rally's statement demanded that the authority fulfill its obligations with regard to fighting poverty and unemployment, improving citizens' living standards and resolving price hikes. Concluding the statement, Ans locals insisted that local councils implement and finish service projects in their areas.
Authorities and ruling party leaders in the governorate tried to obstruct the rally, which was planned to take place in Sanaban Village, by ordering schoolboys to go out and occupy the would-be rally venue. They instigated students to exercise violence and rioting in order to prevent locals, who also faced threats by local council agents to confuse their function, from staging the sit-in. Such a rally is the first of its kind to take place in Dhamar, which remained silent while protests and demonstrations were taking place nationwide.
In Abyan's Lawdar, east of Aden, the Retirees' Societies Coordination Council organized a huge sit-in during which participants criticized the government for not reforming their situation. The protestors released a statement condemning security crackdowns on their functions. They called on other people to participate in a coming rally scheduled to take place on Friday in Aden.
The Idle Youth Organization, based in Al-Dhale' governorate, held a sit-in last Sunday at the governorate premises, asking for more job opportunities. The youths carried their university certificates with them during the sit-in and raised banners criticizing President Saleh's false promises to eradicate unemployment. They questioned why the government didn't provide job opportunities for more than 8 thousand registered applicants in the governorate's civil service office.
The angry protestors complained that their governorate has been deprived of job opportunities for nearly 13 years and its citizens have been denied access to enroll in military and police colleges. They accused officials in the governorate of taking bribes from applicants in exchange for jobs, as well as exercising favoritism and helping their unqualified relatives get available jobs.
The statement, released by Lahj protestors, urged the authorities to obey a Cabinet decision, stating that at least 5 percent of available job opportunities must be given to handicapped applicants. The decision also stated that children's rights should be respected, which are ensured by international conventions and accords. It also pressed the authorities to provide education and healthcare projects to the governorate, whose infrastructure is poor and whose people suffer from pollution.
At another public rally in Dhamar's Hada District, head of Islah Party's Media Circle Fatahi Al-Azab gave a speech saying, “Yemen needs to march again for revolution, particularly as the government's conduct contradicts the goals of the last revolution.”
“Oppression and tyranny has become rampant in the nation, while the contents of the revolution's goals were emptied out,” Al-Azab added, criticizing the way the government exploits the army in favor of officials and influential persons. He continued, “We strongly reject all government policies because they don't cope with people's demands. We don't accept any inheritance of power to sons or extending it for the current ruler, since this is treason against the nation. We only believe in the peaceful transfer of power.”
Including thousands of citizens, the Hada rally conclude with a statement pressing the government to quit its policies that fuel revenge killings among tribal communities. They insisted on their district's share of government jobs for the growing numbers of university graduates.
In Al-Jawf, the Popular Committee for Dismissed Servants' Support called on those fired from their jobs to back its activities, which it plans to hold in protest against the government's policies. The committee released a statement saying that the dismissed servants will escalate their protests until the government meets their demands. It gave the government a one-month deadline to resolve the issues of those fired from their jobs illegally without any clear reasons.
Sultan Al-Barakani, head of the General People's Congress parliamentary bloc, said that citizens in different world countries protest against their governments over similar conditions, and the phenomenon is not limited to Yemen. Interviewed by Al-Jazeera satellite channel, Al-Barakani said, “The protests will have no negative impact on the government or ruling party.”
Mohammed Al-Dhahri, a professor of politics at Aden University, attributes the repeated protests to the state of suspicion between the ruling party and the opposition. Another reason, according to Al-Dhahri, is that the government doesn't admit its failures, and therefore underestimates the opposition's strength.
——
[archive-e:1107-v:15-y:2007-d:2007-11-29-p:ln]
