Are Parliament members obliged to behave like parrots? [Archives:2008/1127/Opinion]

By: Abdulbari Dughaish
Over the past ten days, I deliberated to contact people in charge of Parliament's website many times in order to publish my article I presented to a conference held in Sana'a on January 9 in the presence of local and international participants. The website's officials, however, conditioned that my article must not criticize the Yemeni government or the U.S. Administration.

Having sent the article to them, they initially apologized for being unable to publish it, and a few days later I was shocked at their request to publish it but after having it manipulated and modified. As a result, I did not accept the request. Is true that Yemen's Parliament is a home to democracy with Mr. President its mirror, according to statements made by Sheikh Mustapha Al-Barakani, Head of General People Congress's Parliamentary Caucus during his interview with Al-Sharq Al-Awsat Newspaper?

A Parliament, with all its capacities, facilities and activities, is supposed to provide an equal opportunity to all its members. Otherwise, how it can reinforce the authority of oversight and legislation, as well as constitute one of the state's three authorities. Also, the situation implies that our Parliament is wanted to be a decorative affiliate with the Executive Authority.

Is it not true that Parliament should make out of its website and newsletters media platforms to reflect viewpoints of its members and committees and not to let them be controlled by a particular party and excluding others? Is it not true that the parliamentary website should reflect all the political, social and geographical components of Parliament? Such a website may disappoint the public opinion since it is expected to enhance the democratic course. It is a shame for the website to publish MPs' viewpoints after having them manipulated.

Those in charge of the website are not entitled to manipulate a piece of writing, which I delivered as a speech at a conference, attended by the ministers of foreign affairs and human rights, plus me and numerous local and international participants. During my speech, I highlighted the interests of voters having their relatives detained in Guantanamo Bay, mainly as more than one hundred Yemeni detainees have been suffering the cruelest forms of torture and humiliation for the past five years. Fourteen of the total Yemeni detainees in the U.S. military base are from my home governorate of Aden and they elected me to represent them at Parliament.

I don't know why those in charge of the website fear publishing my article without changing or modifying it, particularly as other websites published it without deleting even one word. I believe that this article contains much support for the government. It depicts the Yemeni government as coming under pressure from Parliament and people, claiming it to restore its citizens from Guantanamo and other U.S. secret jails worldwide. I then turned to question why the website's people wanted to delete the most important letter in my article, which is addressed to the government demanding it to follow up the conditions of its citizens for whom it is responsible by the constitution and law.

Parliament is an institution representing the Yemeni people and its members are from the people and for them. They are not another face for the government in order to be obliged to repeat its actions. As MPs, we must never be like parrots repeating what they hear.

Parliament is a great national institution and it is everyone's possession and all its members are equal in privileges and duties. We are natives of the same homeland, elected by the people to represent them, voice their concerns and suggest solutions to their issues. Had this parliament been allowed to play its real role over the past time period, the country would not have experienced such sad and shameful situations that never please the foes before the intimate friends. The fundamental tasks of Parliament have been so far divided among other unconstitutional committees.

Five calendar years have passed while the situation in Sa'ada remained the same without any change except for the increased numbers of graves, orphans and widows, plus the expansion of wreckage and rubble. Additionally, inhabitants of the war-torn governorate turned to distrust each other. The negative phenomena are increasing as a result of the government's poor policies, and murder and revenge killing are on the rise.

Corruption is terribly spreading in the various government offices exploiting the absence of clean hands. In the meantime, any recommendations from Parliament to the government to review its failed policies and plans are usually put in drawers as the relevant officials pay no attention to them at all.

Our Parliament seems to have expired or been incapacitated, thus becoming unable to move except by very slow steps that serves neither the democratic course nor the national principles, which we advocated during daytime and overnight. Our efforts couldn't even help establish and enhance democracy in the hearts and minds of people. On the contrary, we find that there are unpatriotic attempts to harm and insult democracy.

We are also aware of the practices of some elements who try to have us 'canned' like foods and confiscate our rights. They don't want us to express our viewpoints in the Parliament's website, supposed to be a free platform for everyone. Regretfully, as we are bidding farewell to the Third Legislative Chapter of the age of the parliamentary legislative experience, some Parliament staff still believe in the totalitarian thoughts. Also, others still believe that they can shut up others' mouths, restrict freedoms and spread fears and concerns among people.

There are many people who view Parliament as if it is 'a juvenile' or 'a military barrack' while its members are either soldiers or sergeants who obediently respond to directions from high ranking military officials. Such behavior implies that the website is the freehold of Parliament's Presidency Board and General Secretariat. It also seems to be affiliated with the government, particularly as it conditions that any article criticizing the government or one of its agencies is not worth publishing or must not be published.

The author is a Parliament Member for the General People Congress

Source: Al-Ishteraki.net
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