Al-Thawry [Archives:2003/696/Press Review]

18 Dec.2003.
Main headlines
– Ten days after the attack on HRITC offices in Taiz, JMP holds security responsible for delay in capturing perpetrators
– The poor in Zuraika subject to extortion of specialists and oppression of local council

On government inability and opposition misery columnist Abdulla al-Dahmashi says the government of prime minister Abdulqader Bajammal announced the state budget draft for the year 204, admitting a deficit amounting YR 63 billion I hoped that I would read in the opposition newspapers some scientific analysis by economic experts disclosing for the reader the truth about the financial deficit in the draft budget so that the citizen would know the necessity that imposed on the government additional costs exceeding its revenues by more than YR63 billion. The opposition condemned the government inability and assailed its tendency towards a new increase in prices but did not touch on the absence of development indicators in the budget. Expenditure is exceeds revenues and the deficit is bigger that the government ability to provide what its public spending require. The opposition is parallel to the authority in democratic systems, it is a shadow government supposed to issue a budget parallel to the government draft budget explaining with it the best it would have offered if it were in power. If we concede that the Yemeni opposition is lagging behind such a forward position, the absence of scientific analysis of the budget draft and demonstration of the corrupt side of the revenue and expenditure is an indication of the political awareness misery and despair of the opposition parties.

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