Parliament discusses Anti-corruption Law [Archives:2006/966/Front Page]
Ismail Al-Ghabiri
SANA'A, July 22 ) Parliament began discussing the Anti-corruption Draft Law on Saturday in light of a report presented by the parliamentary Financial Committee.
The Anti-corruption law is part of a series of comprehensive reform executive procedures aimed at improving the performance of the national economy, enhancing development, upgrading public services and combating administrative and financial corruption, according to parliamentary sources.
The sources indicated that the draft law contains 47 articles, which are distributed over 5 chapters covering comprehensive measures for protecting public money and fighting corruption via a legal mechanism. Such a mechanism is set to monitor the performance of the state's administrative system and activate monitoring of service and development project implementation.
The draft law is planned to improve efficiency of using public resources and deter corrupt officials.
The parliamentary resources pointed out that the National Authority for Fighting Corruption (NAFC), under establishment, will be responsible for putting the anti-corruption and financial liability enactment laws into practice. The new authority is due to stop wasting public money and combat illegal earnings via field inspection visits to ensure that service and development projects are implemented safely according to technical specifications of tenders.
The sources added that those targeted by the Financial Liability Enactment Law will undergo continued monitoring and assessment to ensure they don't exploit their posts for illegal earnings. Also, the new law is intended to advise corrupt individuals how to avoid means of extortion while administering projects or public services, which have to be provided to different classes easily.
Parliament's sessions wrap up early
MPs accused the Parliament Presidency Board of edging out the role of the Monitoring Council and transforming it into words on media without any action.
In a statement to Al-Sahwah Net, MPs, Sultan Al-Atwani and Abdulkarim Shaiban said: “wrapping up the parliament sessions before 12 a.m. and devoting them only to draft laws that cost the entire agenda of Parliament during the current period was preplanned in advance to deter Parliament's work progress.”
Al-Atwani, who chairs the Nasserite Unionist Organization's parliamentary bloc, added: “wrapping up the Parliament sessions early implies that the ruling party's MPs are engaged in other jobs and they attend Parliament only to pass what they like.”
Al-Atwani called for the conducting of early parliamentary elections, as a main step toward the reform process sought by the country and citizens.
“The early conclusion of Parliamentary sessions has been a feature of the past two weeks. The General People's Congress need not discuss any case related to corruption or violation in the meantime, as the country prepares for presidential and local elections in September,” Shaiban reacted.
He noted the Parliament's current agenda is full of monitoring reports and questions for the ministers about corruption and violation issues, however, it is hoped that these reports and questions will remain inside drawers.
Deputy Parliament Speaker Yahya Al-Raye'e concluded Saturday's session at 11:30 a.m., only half an hour after it start, sparking tension among MPs.
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