Al-Wahda [Archives:2003/635/Press Review]

7 May 2003
Main headlines:
– Elections draft law in favour of women
– Intensified preparations to confront SARS disease in Yemen
– GPC: No opportunity for compromise and extortion after the elections
– Supreme court studies 56 electoral challenges
– Attempted assassination against Arafat, aborted
– Chairman of the GPC' political office: Private sector media would contribute to development.
On elections and the Yemeni-American relations, Dr Mohammed Qais says it can be said that America was present with every step of the authority and the opposition. That has been represented in programs of the political parties and their strong propaganda with which these elections have been distinguished and ending with the polling process and selecting the candidates. Regarding the parties' platforms we find that most of them have dealt with the issue of terror by stipulating the necessity of condemning and fighting it with various ways. This, of course, serves the American policy that adopts fighting terror because it shows itself as the biggest victim of this phenomenon, especially that the events of 11 September and other incidents against its interests are still alive in minds. The same issue has dominated the elections campaigns displayed in banners and posters and symposiums of the candidates. A rumor spread among the citizens said that if voting was not done in favour of certain political current, America would interfere militarily in Yemen.
On their part the opposition parties utilized the growing cooperation and coordination between the government and the United States to weave a network of conspiring suspicions on the American danger and violation of the national sovereignty in addition to accusing the government of offering concessions t the American side. Nevertheless the opposition parties mentioned in their programs the necessity of improving relations with America and the industrialized big powers and exchange of economic benefits such as attracting investments, economic aid and support of development programs in Yemen.
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