Al-Wahdawi [Archives:2008/1138/Press Review]
Tuesday, March 11
Top Stories
– Sa'ada mediation efforts suspended over disputes between government and Houthis
– Government prefers tribal arbitration system to law in settling differences between officials
– Influential persons plunder endowment land plots in Ibb's Ba'adan district
– Al-Mawri reacts to Mr. President's speech by saying, “We will never drink from seawater as you claim”
– General People Congress manipulates voter register in Hodeida in its favor ahead of the coming parliamentary elections
– Ruling party launches an early electoral campaign starting from Hodeida's Husseinia district
President Ali Abdullah Saleh has selected the Fourth Husseinia Festival for Horse and Camel Racing as a platform to deliver his first speech after he returned from Germany where he received medical treatment, thereby causing him to suspend his almost everyday addresses and criticism of protests in South Yemen and rebellion in the northern governorate of Sa'ada, the weekly reported in its front page. According to political analysts, Saleh attended the festival as part of his party's unannounced campaigning for the coming parliamentary elections, scheduled for April 2009.
During the event, organized in the Husseinia district, Saleh gave a short address to the public opinion about his condition and then suddenly moved toward his personal car, made a drive around the gathering miserable fans and greeted them. Media personnel attending the scene considered this as a kind initiative ever made by a leader for his citizens.
Husseinia citizens were expecting that Mr. President would address their miserable conditions and poor living standards or take firm procedures to stop the soaring prices of basic foodstuffs. They also expected that he may admit failure of his government and its poor polices that are responsible for the dire situation in their governorate and other areas. The Husseinia citizens, however, were surprised to see that Mr. President paid no attention to their sufferings and miserable conditions. They were shocked to see Saleh setting wheat price at YR 7 thousand per 50 kg.
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[archive-e:1138-v:18-y:2008-d:2008-03-17-p:press]
