Islah Party prepares for General Conference [Archives:2007/1027/Local News]

SANA'A, Feb. 20 ) The Islah Party, which is the biggest opposition force in Yemen, made the final arrangements for its Fourth General Conference.

The preparatory committee members including Sheikh Al-Dube'i and Najeeb Ghanem spoke about the final touches for the conference scheduled to start next week. They confirmed the conference is expected to be attended by 4,000 members of with 15 percent from the women sectors.

The conference is due to discuss the decision of the Chairman of the Islah Party's Higher Authority regarding performance of the party-affiliated institutions over the last time period. Attendees are due to elect the Higher Authority Chairman, his deputy, the Judicial Authority Chairman and the Shoura Council members, who number up to 130 according to the party's bylaw.

The party plans to conduct neutral and highly competitive elections in conformity with a mechanism allowing equal opportunity to the party members to make bids for such posts. Party officials declared that the votes will be counted via a sophisticated electronic program.

Al-Dube'i and Ghanem affirmed that there is no amendments to the party's bylaw, adding the conference is due to see electing a new younger leadership for the party.

With regard to the security arrangements, the two officials revealed the Islah Party leadership coordinated with the Interior Ministry. They revealed that the party arranges for the Fourth Conference in a better way, taking all the precautions to prevent reoccurrence of the previous conference's tragedy, which is the assassination of Jarallah Omar.

The conference is due to include electing new women leaders to enhance their role and increase their political representation to be better than that of the previous years. Strengthening female political representation is part of the Islah platform and tops its agenda.

In addition, the conference is expected to discuss various public issues, mainly the result of the most recent presidential and local elections.

The opposition party plans to take decisions and recommendations regarding these elections and then shape its moves and activities for the coming time period. The party is insisting on continuing the peaceful struggle until implementing the comprehensive national reform project.
——
[archive-e:1027-v:14-y:2007-d:2007-02-22-p:ln]