Local councils want to stay You call that democracy? [Archives:2002/21/Local News]

What kind of democracy do you call that?
Thats the question being asked by opposition parties, mainly the Islah Party, which has denounced the desire of local councils (FCLC) to extend their terms in office without election until 2006.
Mohammed Kahtan, head of Islah political department, said Islah opposes the recommendation of the FCLC and it refuses to give local councils the right to turn their meetings into a legislative authority to carry at amendments on laws.
Local elections are scheduled to be held in Yemen in 2004.
Dr Mohammed Ali Al-Saqqaf said this extension infringes law, as any elected authority cannot prolong its office except through elections.
He adds that if extensions are given automatically, elected local council members will turn to nothing but appointed figures.
About 300 participants in the FCLC recommended in a letter to Prime Minister Abdulqader Bajammal that the government conducts a local governance law, minimizing their term in office to three years instead of four. However, it also suggests that the current local councils be given three more years and next local elections should be run in 2006.
The participants said such time will give them chance to lay the foundation for building up institutional and legislative ground for the future.
Observers believe this suggestion will create a problem between the government and opposition. But the majority of the ruling party, PGC, enables it to pass any law or amendments on it.
First local elections were run in February 2001 coinciding with constitutional amendments. The PGC won the majority of seats, 4,000 out of 7,032 seats.
The elections witnessed clashes between PGC and Islah. Around 80 persons were killed and injured.
These elections put an end to the strategic coalition between the PGC and Islah.

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