Annas [Archives:2005/843/Press Review]

16 May 2005
Main headlines

– For the second time after determining losses, the president issues pardon for the Houthis and those following them

– Security forces occupy Sana'a University and lay siege to students

– Pronouncement of judgment against al-Mouayad and Zaid postponed until next June

– A GPC leader: Conspiracy mentality controls the JMP

– Offending of Koran at Guantanamo prison

– Private universities sue the government and accuse Bajammal of libel

– Following his arrest by Criminal Investigations, Abdulrahim Muhsin confirms the charge for being drunk was fabricated

– Employees in Union of People's Forces party confiscate al-Shoura newspaper and headquarters of the party and hold hostage one of its leaders

– Teachers of the Higher Institute announce their resentment of un-educational practices

Columnist Usama Ghalib writes the sales tax law is still strongly present among businessmen circles despite relative calmness continued for about one month following massive angry demonstrations that took to the streets of Yemeni governorates. Those demonstrations condemned the law and they resulted in arrests among demonstrators.

An official source had then accused the Yemeni Islah party and parties of the Joint Meeting of standing behind those demonstrations while businessmen disavowed their responsibility for what happened, a stance the causes of which are still ambiguous. However, it seems this relative calmness is one of the sorts that herald a tempest.

As enforcement of the law has neared its date of July, accompanied by unjustifiable silence from all political forces and organisations of civil society and cautious waiting from the public, a group of merchants have, on Tuesday before the last, called for a peaceful sit-in inside the chamber of commerce. A motion was described as escalating against the law.

A press conference was then held where a large number of big merchants demanded the leadership of the chamber of commerce and other places. Sources close to businessmen and chamber of commerce rule out gradual escalation of the sit-in to reach to comprehensive strike including closure of business shops for around a month, beginning from mid of this month, in case the government insisted on enforcement of the law approved by the government and parliament.
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