Al-Ayyam [Archives:2006/944/Press Review]

2 May 2006.
Main headlines

– Diplomatic sources: Suspending assistance to Yemen attributed to increased anxiety regarding corruption and recession in freedoms

– Ali Nasser: We have paid and still paying the price of our stands

– Palestine foreign minister: Government of Hamas will not recognize Israel

– Shoura Council of the Union of People's Forces holds its first session

– Donor countries increase their pressures on Yemen

Writer Abdullah Ali al-Nassi writes about the local elections in Yemen saying the first elections of the local authority were held in 2001 under the law of the local authority an then the local authorities had assumed their power in the governorates and districts.

The law has created a qualitative leap in the course of the democratic pursuit and since this is a new experiment, it is normal to face some difficulties and impediments. We had expected that those elections would effect a qualitative transfer in all areas of development but regretfully it had failed in that. The failure responsibility is to be blamed on

First, the citizen because he dealt with the experiment of local elections with indifference and non-concentration in choosing the efficient person qualified for representing him in the local councils.

Second, the political parties that dealt with the elections with the aim of winning the largest possible number of seats.

Third, trade unionist and civil society organizations that were totally absent though it was hoped that they would live to the event because they are more experienced than others in such elections.

Fourth, the media. I think that most of the media do not serve the homeland, in enlightening the citizen about what is good for him and good for the homeland.

Fifth, the government by strongly sticking to the centralization that the law of local administration has torpedoed throughout the past five years and thus it did not support the local councils.

Sixth. The local councils in the governorates and districts as they did not upgrade their performance and their poor comprehension of the local authority law.
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