Al-Wahdawi [Archives:2003/648/Press Review]

1 July 2003
Main headlines:
– Sea pirates officially destroy fish wealth
– Arrest of worshippers condemning America continues
– Education ministry exercises pressure on teachers not affiliate of GPC
– Students returning from Iraq stage sit-in in front of finance ministry, face gunfire
Columnist Dr Fuad al-Salahi confirms in his article that holding elections at their fixed date positively expresses the desire to continue the democratic course declared in 1990. The increasing number of electors, however, reflects their determination to practice one of their rights to citizenship for influencing the size and kind of the social forces to attain the parliament.
The democracy in Yemen belongs to grouping of emerging democracies. It is therefore considered a recent experiment exercised within a traditional social framework characterized by strength of fanatic formations influencing modes of social relations and interactions, and even the political behaviour of the state and society. All forms of coordination and dialogue between the opposition and the authority were connected to the parties' goals and interests of their leaderships, in other words the homeland's national interest was absent. The citizens interests were also exploited in the elections campaigns of those parties. It can be said on the other hand that results of the parliamentary elections did not reflect any renewal in the nature of the political and social forces. Most of the parliament members are the same since 1993. The limited numbers of parliamentarians who are thought to be part of new faces are in fact related with family to the firm majority of members. The parliament formation constitutes an inhomogeneous combination.
To sum it up we can say that the parliament faces significant and serious challenges connected to aggravation of the social land economic problems inside. The seriousness and danger of these problems aggravate and their impact increases according to international and regional changes that negatively affect all states and societies, including Yemen. An indifferent attitude by the parliament towards he essential issues of the citizen would render the parliament another burden on shoulder of the state.
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