Anti-corruption committee members elected [Archives:2007/1037/Front Page]
By: Ismail Al-Ghabri
SANA'A, March 28 – In its session on Sunday, the Consultative Council approved 30 candidates for membership on the Supreme Committee for Anti-corruption, chosen from among 85 candidates meeting requirements according to Article 9 of Anti-corruption Law No. 39 issued in 2006. The mechanism whereby the council selected the candidates was adopted at a session in January.
Excluding incomplete files according to Article 9 of the law, the council approved 54 candidates for the general list, 14 for civil society organizations, six representing the private sector and 11 representing women.
Following election procedures, the council elected 21 for the general list and three each for civil society organizations, the private sector and the women's sector, thus filling the announced list.
However, the council session witnessed heated arguments and badmouthing between members while choosing the 30 for the anti-corruption committee, with one member commenting, “A majority of Consultative Council members don't know the names of the candidates or anything about their CVs or their previous posts.”
Reacting to the announced list, three ruling party-affiliated members of Parliament pronounced the council unsuccessful regarding most of those selected, maintaining that Parliament is sufficiently qualified to form a committee to combat corruption.
Numerous politicians and specialists voiced their disappointment at the announced list, alleging that it's simply an extension of other executive committees that also suffer corruption. Other MPs likewise seemed dissatisfied with the list, noting that Yemen is in need of real will in order to get rid of corruption.
As a reaction to the newly announced Supreme Committee for Anti-corruption, an Anti-corruption authority was established in the name of civil society organizations, coalitions, politicians, lawyers and judges.
Huriah Mashhour, one of the 30 candidates, explained that Parliament will choose 11 of the 30 members recommended by the Consultative Council and they will be appointed by republican decree to form the Supreme Committee for Anti-corruption. The move aims to upgrade good governance, enhance transparency and accountability and strengthen rule of law.
“I'm not overstating it by saying that corruption in a poor country like Yemen prevents the poor from accessing food, patients from obtaining medicine and children from attending school,” she noted.
Mashhour added that the committee will help Yemeni citizens regain their trust in reforms programs, maintaining that it will work in partnership with specialized international organizations, such as Transparency International.
According to her, the committee also will raise societal awareness about corruption and its risks, as well as the spreading culture of bribery, nepotism and betraying confidences.
——
[archive-e:1037-v:14-y:2007-d:2007-03-29-p:front]
