No agreement yet on electoral committee [Archives:2002/29/Front Page]

The political parties have failed lately to reach an agreement over their representation in the electoral committees to undertake the registration period due the beginning of September. The Joint Meeting Parties (JMP) a bloc containing 8 parties mainly Islah, Socialist and Unionist Nasserite felt disappointed over the letter of the PGC Secretary General Dr. Abdulkareem al-Iryani and the Supreme Elections Committee (SEC) negligence of their warning to boycott participation in these electoral committees. The difference of the JMP with the PGC focuses on the criterion on which the political parties are to be given representatives at the committees. The ruling party, PGC insists that they should take into consideration the number of seats in parliament each party has. Islah, on the other hand, insists that the number of votes each party has got should be the criterion. The PGC enjoys the majority in the parliament.
In a latest decision, head of the political office of the ruling party, Dr. Mohammed Abdulmajeed Qubati disclosed to the Yemen Times that his party was willing to take the votes as a criterion for the representation of political parties in the electoral committees provided that it should be the last local elections as the Socialist boycotted the parliamentary elections of 1997.
The JMP sent two letters, one to Dr. Iryani and another to the SEC asking for more time for dialogue with the PGC over the disputed point so as to be able to reach a final agreement. Mr. Ali Mohammed Al-Sarari, head of the Socialist Media Department told YT that the parties achieved some success in their meetings. The focus of dispute is the representation in the electoral committees.
They parties already agreed to give the PGC 50%, Socialist 12% and Islah 15-20% of the representatives in the committees. However, the SEC said it had made up its mind to give representations for political parties that would submit lists of their representatives.
Mr. Abdu Mohammed Al-Janadi, chairman of the Media Department of the SEC told YT that political parties were given enough chance and time to debate and agree on representation in electoral committees.
However, they failed to do so. He said the Elections law gives the SEC the right to choose people who will run elections, on condition that they shouldnt be from a single party. He stressed that the SEC is heedless to the political parties differences and that they will conduct the registration period regardless of these differences. He said the law entitles us with this privilege and some parties of the opposition National Council ( an ally to PGC) have started presenting lists of names of their representatives in these committees. Around 41,000 persons will take part in these committees job in 5760 balloting centers. The previous centers were only 2075. The registration phase will cost around YR 8 billion. He even showed indifference to the JMP warning to boycott these committees, pointing out that it is their business to take part or boycott. But boycotting, according to him, will not stop elections.
On his part, Dr. Qubati said the JMP wants to do injustice to other parties, aiming to devour the lions share in these committees. He said if these parties boycott, people will be called to tale part in running these committees. He disclosed that Islah intends to have a political bargain with his party, which refuses. He said PGC used to back up Islah during previous elections, enabled it to win 65 seats in 1993, and 50 in 1997, of course, with the absence of the Socialist party. He said PGC used to have up to three candidates in one constituency against one candidate from Islah. He stressed that PGC refuses now to play the same game. However, Islah sources completely denied these allegations.
Dr. Qubati confirmed the real crisis is not happening in the SEC, but in the dialogue among political parties, stressing that the Socialist is now put in a fix, living a crisis that might lead to its division.
He pointed out that some leading members in the Socialist are annoyed by the coalition of their party with Islah, preferring coordination with the PGC.
Sources at the Socialist refuted these claims, describing them as a creation of the PGC imagination.
Mr. Al-Sarari said a political crisis will take place if the SEC conducts the registration period without the participation and supervision of the JMP. However, he looked optimistic that an agreement between the political parties will be reached at. He accused the PGC of planning to control the electoral process and political arena as it plans to achieve a cracking majority in the next elections.
A leading member of the PGC, speaking on condition not to be identified, disclosed that if the PGC fails to agree with JMP, it will hold talks with the liberation Front, that existed in the south and Islamic parties in the north, paying no attention to the JMP.
Dr. Qubati said the PGC is working to establish a very strong parliament that is able to counter the executive authority. He criticized the current parliament describing it as week as it includes tribal Sheiks and uneducated figures whose views cross with those with Islah. He said the Islah refused the proposal of the PGC concerning the list system of proportional representation. The PGC suggests that 100 constituencies should follow this list system while the rest (2001) follow the single constituency representation. He said the Socialist suggested to postpone discussion this proposal while the Nasserite suggested that all constituencies should follow the list system of proportional representation, something which will diminish the existence of independents in the parliament. Dr. Qubati said this proposal can be implemented in the 2009 elections. But it needs a constitutional amendment and put an a public referendum. He said the majority of his party should be exploited to pass this amendment and referendum can coincide with the next elections.
He stressed this system concerns the modernization of the state.

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