Is the CC Biting More than It Can Chew Permanent Committee at the CC to Address Blood Vengeance [Archives:1998/24/Front Page]
So President Ali Abdullah Saleh is serious about addressing the issue of violence and vengeance among the public. What does he do? He assigns the job of handling this very difficult and intricate responsibility to the Consultative Council (CC). The President wrote a 3-page letter authorizing the CC to form a permanent committee to do many things including:
1) To collate data on the causes of vengeance-related violence, and formulate plans to stem this phenomenon.
2) To evaluate the CC’s past achievements in this regard.
3) To prepare media programs to raise public awareness on the issue.
4) To follow-up the work of law-enforcement agencies, and question negligent and lax officials.
5-To work within the laws and customs regulating the payment of blood-money, after a final Supreme Court decision is reached.
6) To communicate with the relevant organs to help shorten court procedures.
7) To work on introducing tribal rules preventing them from giving shelter to fugitives.
8) To communicate with the government, with full authority, to help establish peace and security.
9) To start its activities at the beginning of July, 1998.
10) To form sub-committees in various governorates and directorates to investigate the causes of vengeance incidents.
The Consultative Council held a difficult discussion as to whether the task fell within its own mandate. Even more importantly, the members questioned whether they had the ability to handle the job. At the end, however, they agreed to form a 9-man committee. The new committee’s first assignment is to prepare a report on what it needs to do the job.
Yemen, whose population is said to possess more than 50 million rifles and guns, has a major problem with vendetta violence.
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