Al-Janadi: Opposition justifiesfailure by attacking SCER [Archives:2006/939/Front Page]
Yasser Al-Mayasi
SANA'A, April 18 ) In a special statement to the Yemen Times, Abdo Mohamed Al-Janadi, information secretary for the Supreme Commission for Election and Referendum (SCER), confirmed Wednesday that committees formed from the Civil Service's graduate job seekers list received final training to check and alter voter lists beginning Thursday. He added that observation committee heads were chosen from those with higher university degrees.
Al-Janadi said the SCER will make August's local and presidential elections a success, adding that it will not heed parties' demands because it held many fruitless talks with them.
He noted that the committee members are the best and will prove their distinction because they are performing their task in a highly dependent, legal and professional manner. They will show that they are for all parties and all those who are independent and they will develop the democratic experience.
Asked about partisan accusations that the SCER has become illegal and should be reformed to conduct free and fair elections, Al-Janadi said that casting doubt upon the SCER should have been done in a civilized manner, adding that such accusers should resort to the Constitution and the law.
He noted that the SCER is ready to discuss any documents or proof of violations committed by any SCER committee member, adding that anyone proven guilty will be referred to the judiciary.
He denounced opposition's fierce campaign against SCER members, describing it as “election fever” accompanying upcoming elections. He added that such a campaign should not cloud the parties' minds, pointing out that the attacks turned into insults and false accusations. Al-Janadi assured that the SCER will tolerate all this because it believes in the saying, “Do whatever you think to be right and let others say what they like.”
Al-Janadi went on to say that despite prejudice against the SCER, it is convinced in what it is doing, adding that opposition should not impose its failures on the SCER. He added that the opposition is doing this because it wants to hold the SCER responsible in case they fail in the elections.
On behalf of the SCER, Al-Janadi called on all international organizations, election observers and donor countries to draw closer and take an arbitration role between the SCER and the opposition. He accused opposition of alleging that elections will be counterfeited, which is not true, adding that opposition wants to convince the international community that the SCER is working outside the law, which also is untrue, because all democracy promoters are working with us.
Regarding election observation, Al-Janadi assured that 27,000 local observers are registered to observe election procedures, adding that observers from other countries asked to observe the elections and they will be given this right. He added that the SCER is sure of transparency and freedom in the elections, confirming that there will be no chance for forgery.
A great dispute erupted between opposition on one hand and the SCER and the ruling party on the other, wherein opposition refused to join procedures conducted by the SCER, saying it is illegal and demanding its reform as a first step to political reform.
Due to these differences, the SCER cancelled all parties' participation in forming its working committees, depending instead on Civil Service job seeker lists. Both public and secret talks were held to resolve the differences.
Opposition submitted suggestions for settling their differences to the president on Monday. If the problems remain unsolved, opposition threatens to resort to peaceful public protests which may escalate to sit-ins and demonstrations. This is what the coming days will reveal.
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