Al-Sahwa [Archives:2008/1166/Press Review]

Thursday, June 19, 2008
Top Stories

– Private fuel stations complain of bankruptcy as government refuses to supply them with diesel

– Kidney patients in Hodeida appeal to government to provide them air conditioners

– Finance Minister admits that his ministry is unable to fighting diesel smuggling

– International organizations: Al-Khaiwani faced baseless charges

– JMP rejects election law amendment, blames ruling party for worsening situations

Joint Meeting Parties (JMP) bloc in Parliament has renewed its strong rejection of the General People Congress's attempt to amend the General Election Law, placed in effect, individually, the weekly reported on its front page story.

The weekly added in a statement that JMP clarified that such amendments contradict the Constitution of the Republic of Yemen, democratic values, equal citizenship, hurt political life and undercut all reform ways. In the meantime, it accused the ruling party's parliamentary bloc of seeking to help the current worsening conditions continue, manipulating the country's future and insisting to undermine the election system.

According to the weekly, the opposition coalition further stressed that any amendments taken solely by the ruling party would be meant to emasculate the constitutional principles and the multiparty system, pointing out that the solutions to those crises lie on holding fair and free elections in which all citizens could practice their freedom without forgery or intimidation.

According to JMP, forming Supreme Commission for Election and Referendum (SCER) from judges will not ensure managing the electoral process in a neutral and transparent manner, adding that judges, unlike party leaders or political activists, are not eligible to run general elections, nor can they be questioned over any violations that may take place during elections.
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